DE29902440U1 - Scattering and sorption material, especially for ungulates (horses and the like) - Google Patents

Description

Bedding and sorption material especially for hoofed animals.

The invention relates to a bedding and sorption material in particular for hoofed animals such as horses and the like, but which can also be used for sheep, cows, goats, etc. in stables.

The new bedding material is characterized by optimal strength and at the same time strong adsorption effect not only for moisture such as urine, etc., but also for gases that arise from the animals' manure. This is especially true for closed stables in which the said animals, especially horses, are housed.

Bedding materials, e.g. - and in particular - for pets such as cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. are known and are described in DE 41 01 243, among others. The animal bedding material mentioned here consists of a mixture of cellulose or cellulose derivatives with weighting agents and one or more oil thickeners or binding agents. The known product is in the form of particles which have a particle size of over 1 mm, in particular 1-10 mm. The starting materials for such animal bedding material include wood and paper waste, pigments, zeolites, etc., which are offered in the appropriate grain size and mixture.

DE 37 32 807 describes a bedding material that is intended particularly, if not exclusively, for cats, etc. These are so-called briquettes, which should not be smaller than 5 mm and are mainly made from straw material such as straw flour.

DE 196 17 224 also contains a litter material, also preferred for cats, which is in the form of solid elements,

which are essentially obtained from residues of plant substances, in particular from fruit pressing residues, e.g. from apples and similar fruits, vegetable residues or even sugar beets. Such products can also be used as organic soil improvement materials.

A bedding material, also preferred for cats and related animals, consists according to DE 43 28 285 of a mixture of moisture-absorbing materials such as cellulose and a mineral additive such as mica, vermiculite, etc., whereby the additive should have a flake-like constitution and be crushed to <2 mm.

A feed, bedding or soil improver is described in 42 01 410. The product is obtained from hay or straw and pressed into pellets. The purpose of this document or the state of the art is to prevent dust formation during handling or when spreading bedding in small animal husbandry.

All of the above-mentioned materials are intended exclusively as bedding products for small animals, such as those kept in the home or living area as so-called pets.

These mixtures can be scatterable cellulose _or cellulose-based materials, in particular straw, chaff, granules, powder and the like, which, however, only have a limited strength and whose sorption capacity for liquids, e.g. urine and other excretions, is extremely limited. For this reason, the use of these known materials or mixtures of materials is almost exclusively intended for small domestic animals and is limited to small domestic animals in terms of strength, stability, absorbency, etc.

—3—

-Z-

The subject of the present invention is a bedding or litter material which has been developed preferably, if not exclusively, for stabled hoofed animals such as horses, donkeys, etc. and which takes into account the size and fur of this animal family in particular - horses are mentioned here only as an example. It is therefore primarily a bedding and sorption material which takes into account the body size and fur of this animal species, i.e. animals which are housed in stables or sheds on farms and which require a considerable amount of bedding or bedding material.

In addition to optimal sorption and absorbency for liquids such as urine, feces, shooting, etc., such a material requires very strong binding, optimal stability and strength, simple and uncomplicated handling during removal and replacement, and absolute compatibility for the standing or lying animal. Possible deterioration and the resulting problem of disposal as well as optimum physical stability also play a significant role, taking the ungulate's own behavior into account.

The bedding material according to the invention for hoofed animals and horses etc., which is used in particular, but not exclusively, in stables and is optimally recyclable, does not cause any dust pollution, has a high degree of strength and at the same time has optimal absorbency and sorption capacity, consists of shapes and pellets which are formed by agglomerating suitable mixtures and are made up of the following mixing ratios:

approx. 77 to 93 % chopped or shredded straw; approx. 5 to 15% cellulose, e.g. from wood, tree pulp,

Flax, hemp or suitable oxy- and hemicelluloses, as well as about 2 to 8 parts by weight of bentonite.

Granules or pellets constructed in this way, which are produced by dry or slightly moistened mixing of the individual components with subsequent pelletizing under low pressure in a continuous process, have a particularly advantageous cylindrical shape of approx. 10 - 30 mm in length and a diameter of approx. 5-10 mm.

The pellets have a density of approximately 1.0 - 1.3 g/cm or an equivalent bulk density of approximately 480 720 kg/m ³ .

Of course, small deviations in the height, length and cross-section of the pellets are possible, but the above values have proven to be particularly advantageous in practice.

Pellets or granules or molded bodies of the above composition and shape have an average liquid absorption capacity of at least 100 % by weight, ie they can absorb twice their own weight or volume in terms of volume and weight when used in stables for hoofed animals, particularly horses.

After production or regeneration, they still have a moisture content of approx. 10 - 14 Geui _a -%, due to the water content of the starting materials used and the moisture content of the components used in production.

In this context, it should be said that regeneration is certainly possible, but that regeneration does not bring about any significant improvements in preventing residual odor and residual toxic substances from urine or faeces, but that continued use as fertilizer for meadows and agricultural areas is advantageous, particularly due to the high content of organic components, particularly nitrogen compounds. The molded products according to the invention thus acquire additional significance for agricultural operations, as the material absorbed in the pellets is used for another purpose.

After production, i.e. after mixing the components and the subsequent shaping (pelletization) at medium to moderate pressure, the molded pieces with the dimensions already mentioned show practically no dust development when stored openly or as bedding, e.g. in horse boxes, even under the pressure of the moving animal (horse, etc.).

The pellets according to the invention are practically non-flammable, despite the relatively high content of organic material (straw, wood fibers, tree fibers, etc.); they show no loss of shape and strength and change their external shape only to a small extent under the pressure of the moving animal (the latter, of course, depending on the magnitude of the liquid material ingested or adsorbed).

The production of the moldings or pellets according to the invention takes place on suitable pressure, pressing or suction devices with variable or adjustable cross-section settings. Such pelletizing machines are known and are not the subject of the invention. Of course, the actual pelletization is preceded by a pretreatment and mixing process, in which the straw, in particular stalks of grain material, is chopped or cut, the cellulose is shredded and the respective bentonite material is mixed in as a powder, possibly in the presence of small amounts of binding and liquid components, e.g. also exclusively water. The actual shaping, e.g. by extrusion or similar shaping processes, takes place in a known manner, possibly under adjusted pressure.

Practically all commercially available clays that have a strong swelling and adsorption capacity and whose main component is the mineral montmorillonite are suitable as bentonite within the meaning of the invention. Such bentonites are particularly suitable.

effective for the absorption and adsorption of liquids and gases, both alkaline and acidic. For this reason, the widely available special bentonites are particularly effective for binding ammonia, nitrogen oxide, urea derivatives, etc. in both liquid and gaseous states.

The pellets or moldings according to the invention have a solid but porous constitution and do not produce any dust, even under pressure.

Despite the relatively high proportion of shredded or chopped straw, they are hardly or practically non-flammable and - as already mentioned in the introduction - show an absorbency for liquids of more than 100% by weight, based on their own weight.

When used in stables, boxes, etc. for hoofed animals, the bedding material according to the invention is generally spread out over the entire surface to a height or thickness of one to a maximum of five times the diameter of the so-called pellets, so that it covers the entire area of the box or stable of the hoofed animal(s) like a carpet. This provides the animal with a firm but tolerable and elastic floor layer, which, after the first or repeated discharge of urine and soft faeces, slowly disintegrates into the pellets and thus forms a kind of soft covering on the stone or wooden floor of the stable. This then quickly loses its hardness and insecurity, but without losing its absorbency.

This is mainly due to the high or strong absorbency of the combination of straw fiber material, sorbent bentonite and cellulose in the composition ratio according to the invention.

Only after days, often only after weeks - as a function of the time the animal(s) spend on the given floor area - does the softness of the scattered "carpet" take on a consistency that makes a change of the straw material necessary.

However, the purpose of this new type of litter material is not yet exhausted.

It has been found that the now "wet" material, i.e. containing urine and other absorbed liquids - as well as gases in the liquids - of a smooth but still crumbly consistency, is not only suitable as an excellent fertilizer for meadows and fields, but due to the high ammonium, i.e. nitrogen content, is also effective for fertilizing stalks and roots, grain, potatoes, beets, etc., so that the new type of bedding material for hoofed animals does not require disposal in the conventional sense.

In this context, it should be noted that there is nothing to prevent the addition of fungicides, insecticides or other agriculturally suitable substances that are tolerable or harmless to the animal during the production of the pellets, so that the "used" material can be used directly as a valuable, targeted mixing or fertilizer after being removed from the stable or animal box.

It should also be mentioned that during the production process of the pellets, pests contained in the raw materials or starting materials such as amoebas, insects, worms, fungi, etc. are killed or destroyed.

In summary, the new litter material provides an optimal storage basis, especially for hoofed animals, which provides absolute hygiene, has high strength and optimal adsorption or absorption capacity for liquids, semi-fluid excrements and odorous substances, so that such pollutants are not only eliminated, but also offer easy disposal as adsorbed accompanying substances in fertilizers with high N and P content.

Finally, it should be noted that the geometric shape of the scattering materials is not necessarily tied to the cylinder configuration, but other shapes such as cuboids or cubes with similar masses to those of the cylinders can serve the same purpose.

Preferably, the new bedding material for hoofed animals is manufactured in a continuous process in special production facilities suitable for this purpose and delivered to the consumer in suitable packaging such as paper bags, containers, etc. It should be noted that the used, i.e. saturated material can be reactivated in a type of recycling process in the manufacturing plant, although use as fertilizer is preferred for economic reasons.

Patent claims

Claims (8)

1. Bedding material, in particular for hoofed animals such as horses or the like, which are housed in stables, animal boxes or on fenced-in open spaces and which produce a considerable amount of liquid and semi-liquid or absorbent excrement, characterized in that the bedding material consists of
approx. 77-93% by weight of chopped or shredded straw, especially stalk straw,
approx. 5-15 wt.% cellulose and
approx. 2-8 wt.% bentonite. 2. Spreading material according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an average bulk density of approximately 480-720 kg/m ³ . 3. Spreading material according to claims 1 and/or 2, characterized in that it is in the form of geometrically oriented, in particular cylindrical, moldings or pellets. 4. Spreading material according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the moldings or pellets have an average length (height) of approximately 20-50 mm and a cylindrical diameter of approximately 10-20 mm. 5. Spreading material according to claim 4, characterized in that the moldings or pellets have an average length or cylindrical height of approximately 10-30 mm and a cylindrical diameter of approximately 5-10 mm. 6. Spreading material according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the moldings or pellets are in cubic form, wherein the height or length and width or depth correspond to the wet specifications according to claims 4 and 5. 7. Spreading material according to claims 1-6, characterized in that the moldings, pellets or cubes have a density of about 1.0 to 1.3 g/cm ³ or an equivalent bulk density of about 480-720 kg/m ³ . 8. Spreading material according to claims 1-7, characterized in that it has an absorption capacity for liquids or fluid substances which is higher than 100 vol.% of its own volume.