Microbial characteristics and safety of dairy manure composting for reuse as dairy bedding

Abstract: Changes in bacterial community, phenotype, metabolic function, and pathogenic bacteria content in recycled manure solids (RMS) were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, Bugbase, picrost2, and qPCR, respectively. The data from RMS bedding were compared to those of sand bedding and rice husk bedding. The results showed that the proportion of potentially-pathogenic bacteria among the manure flora of RMS after dry and wet separation, after composting, and after sun-cure storage was 73.997%, 26.030%, and 49.068%, respectively. Compared to RMS bedding, the proportion of potentially-pathogenic microorganisms in sand bedding and rice husk bedding was higher. Picrust2 analyses showed that the level of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis changed significantly during RMS processing. In addition, qPCR results showed that composting could effectively reduce the detection and quantification of pathogens, except Streptococcus uberis, in RMS bedding. In general, composting is an essential step to improve the safety of bedding materials in the process of fecal treatment. But at the same time, RMS bedding may increase the risk of mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis.