Hygienic pH-neutral bedding powder for all livestock delivered to your door.

Many farmers, smallholders or equestrians use absorbent bedding materials – straw, sand or shavings for example – to keep beds dry. But not all bedding materials are suitable for modern livestock housing and animal welfare needs.

Straw can block slats or form a thick crust on the slurry store, shavings and sawdust can be variable in quality and can be abrasive, not that comfortable for the animals. And when any bedding gets wet it can become breeding ground for bacterial, fungal and viral infections – which is where disinfecting, moisture-absorbing bedding powders come into their own.

For over 40 years Alan Rothwell ran Nature Tech, providing top quality bedding powders, but when he retired at 70 there was an opportunity to pass on the business to someone new.

In stepped Ben Bennett Jr Ltd, a family company founded in 1883. The firm, which also quarries limestone in Derbyshire, already knew Nature Tech well, having supplied quality limestone for its Ultra Dri products for years. They spent six months with Alan during the handover two years ago and now run it as part of their wider operation.

“It seemed a natural progression for us to take this over,” says Laura Barks, who speaks to livestock owners and farming suppliers all over the UK on a daily basis from the loyal customers who rely on the product to ones newly discovering the brand.

Keeping livestock dry, clean and safe

When animal welfare is paramount, you want to ensure bedding is not only clean and dry, but disinfected too – whether it’s for dogs in kennels or pigs in the sty, horses in the stable sheep, goats, cattle, poultry, game. Damp and mould can be a breeding ground for bacteria and spore-borne issues which can contribute to serious problems including mastitis in dairy cows.

Nature Tech’s Ultra Dri is a blend of natural materials (using 90% limestone), produced with the welfare of both stock and handlers in mind. It’s simple to use, just remove soiled bedding and sprinkle on to leave it to do its work reducing cell-counts and destroying the breeding-grounds for infection, including mastitis bacteria. It’ll reduce the smell of livestock sheds and improve the consistency of slurry.

pH neutral for animals

Limestone is used as a natural product which absorbs moisture, but the alkaline nature of limestone means the raw product could cause skin irritation or even burning to humans handling it without gloves and to the animals themselves. Nature Tech bedding powders are produced to be pH neutral (level 7), you can spread it without gloves and it’s kind to humans and animals. And with DEFRA-approved disinfectant mixed in, it provides the perfect product for both dryness and hygienic cleanliness.

About the product

Ultra Dri products are sold and delivered in 1 tonne batches, packed in 25 kg bags. You get 40 bags on a pallet, and delivery can be arranged right to your premises, be that a farm, kennels, stables or livestock supplies’ shop.

The bags are made of paper, but with poly liners so they remain damp-free even if stored outside. They can even be made bespoke to carry the merchants’ own bags with their unique label.

There are three grades of bedding powder, which offer different disinfectant levels, so you can tailor it to the needs of your particular circumstances.

Find out more

You can speak to one of the team for more information and advice, and to get prices for delivery. You can even collect from their Derbyshire premises.

There’s a small and friendly team to help you find the right product and service. Emails and calls are answered by Terri, she is able to give you information and advice online or over the phone or Laura can visit you in person. Laura’s brother Charlie is also on the team in production.

· Email [email protected]

· Phone: 01629 351408 or 07715076500

· Visit: Nature Tech Farm Services, Longcliffe, Derbyshire, DE4 4HN

· Look online: Click the link here