Abstract

Bedding material is an important constituent of the animal production system. It is a key factor not only in the wellness and comfort but also for biosecurity measures applied for disease control and prevention programs. Animal production industry uses many types of bedding materials including, wood shavings, grass straws, paper, corn cobs, and rice husk, depending on the availability, price, hygroscopicity, animal comfort and environmental concerns. This review discusses the opportunities of using wood by-products like wood shavings, sawdust and chips in animal production, and their effect on health and welfare of animals and also on environment. Additionally, the microbial perspective of wood based beddings has been highlighted because generally it is considered as unhygienic material, however recent researches has shown the antimicrobial effects of this material, which can be utilized in production systems to counter the disease and lower the biological risk to health of animals, workers and environment.

Keywords: Wood shavings; Sawdust; Chips; Bedding material; Antimicrobials; Animal welfare