Zeolite for Dairy Cow Stall Bedding | Mastitis & Somatic Cell Count Management

Q: Does zeolite bedding directly lower mastitis and somatic cell count?

Zeolite itself is not a drug that treats mastitis or directly reduces somatic cell count (SCC). Environmental mastitis occurs when environmental bacteria such as E. coli and streptococci, which multiply in wet bedding, invade through the teat, and SCC is an indicator of the immune response to that infection (Zapata-Salas et al., 2022; Lehew & Dechow, 2021). Natural clinoptilolite is a hygiene-support material that, through moisture and ammonium (NH₄⁺) adsorption, keeps bedding dry and unfavorable for bacterial growth, thereby reducing the risk of environmental mastitis exposure and SCC increases. Its effect must be evaluated together with overall milking, teat hygiene, and bedding management.

Q: Why is keeping bedding dry important for somatic cell count management?

Environmental mastitis bacteria multiply rapidly in wet bedding rich in manure and moisture. The higher the bedding moisture, the longer the teat ends are exposed to environmental bacteria, and as new infections accumulate, the herd-wide bulk-tank SCC rises, affecting milk grade and settlement price. Natural clinoptilolite contributes to keeping the bedding surface dry and low in odor by adsorbing moisture through its porous framework and capturing manure-derived ammonium via cation exchange.

Q: How much ammonium (NH₄⁺) does it adsorb, and by what mechanism?

Clinoptilolite has a negatively charged framework and selectively adsorbs cations such as ammonium (NH₄⁺) via cation exchange. This captures the ammoniacal nitrogen generated as manure decomposes in the NH₄⁺ form, reducing odor and irritant gases. Mažeikienė et al. (2008) reported an ammonium adsorption capacity of about 0.5 mg/g for natural clinoptilolite, with ammonium removal efficiency of 72–86% under static conditions and 95–99.9% under dynamic (filtration) conditions. Bedding differs from an aqueous system, so the figures cannot be applied directly, but the ammonium affinity provides the basis for deodorizing and drying support in bedding.

Q: How is it applied to freestall bedding? Does it replace sand or sawdust?

Generally, rather than fully replacing existing bedding material (sand, sawdust, mats), it is considered as a top-dressing approach in which fine to granular natural clinoptilolite is lightly spread over the bedding surface to adsorb moisture and ammonium. For spreading, 14×40 mesh or 30×50 mesh granules with little powder scatter are easy to handle, and to reduce teat contamination before milking, the application rate and frequency are adjusted to the degree of bedding soiling. Before adoption, it is advisable to pilot it on some bays and evaluate bedding moisture and SCC against a control.

Q: It is not fed to animals, so how do GRAS and certifications apply?

Stall bedding is a facility/environmental use, not a feed use ingested by livestock. Natural clinoptilolite is recognized as GRAS by the US FDA as a general-purpose anticaking agent and adsorbent under 21 CFR 182.2729 (when used for feed ingestion, 21 CFR 582.2729 applies separately). KMIZEOLITE products hold certifications including OMRI Listed (KMI-10365), TSCA compliance, and EN-71-3 PASS. For organic dairy applications, please verify OMRI compliance.

The Problem on Dairy Farms: Wet Bedding → Environmental Mastitis → Rising Somatic Cell Count

In milking-cow husbandry, hygiene losses begin at the stall. When freestall and bedded-pack stalls become wet with manure and moisture, environmental bacteria such as E. coli and environmental streptococci multiply rapidly, invading the udder through the teats of lying cows and causing environmental mastitis. This infection appears not only as clinical mastitis but also as subclinical (asymptomatic) mastitis, and the indicator of its immune response is precisely the bulk-milk somatic cell count (SCC).

SCC is not merely a hygiene metric but a KPI of dairy economics. When new infections accumulate across the herd, the bulk-tank SCC rises, lowering milk grade and settlement price and increasing the costs of culling, treatment, and discarded milk. Research analyzing the relationship between the amount and concentration of secreted somatic cells and clinical mastitis shows that daily total somatic cell output is directly linked to SCC concentration and clinical mastitis incidence (Lehew & Dechow, 2021). The starting point for SCC management is therefore keeping bedding dry and clean to reduce environmental bacterial exposure itself.

Why Zeolite Is Considered for Stall Bedding

Natural clinoptilolite is a porous mineral with micropores of 4.0–7.0 Å and a cation exchange capacity (CEC) of 1.6–2.0 meq/g. From a bedding-management standpoint, two actions are key. First, the porous framework adsorbs excess moisture in the bedding, keeping the surface dry. Second, because the framework carries a negative charge, it selectively adsorbs the ammonium (NH₄⁺) generated as manure decomposes via cation exchange, reducing ammonia odor and irritant gases. The drier and less odorous the bedding, the less favorable the conditions for environmental bacterial growth.

Ammonium adsorption has quantitative support. Mažeikienė et al. (2008) reported an ammonium adsorption capacity of about 0.5 mg/g for natural clinoptilolite, with an ammonium removal efficiency of 72–86% under static conditions and 95–99.9% under dynamic (filtration) conditions (Mažeikienė et al., J. Environ. Eng. Landsc. Manag., 2008). Because these are aqueous-experiment values, they cannot be applied directly to a bedding environment, but they provide the basis for clinoptilolite's high affinity for ammonium. The approach of using clinoptilolite to reduce ammonia in livestock environments has been documented for a long time (Mumpton & Fishman, Clays and Clay Minerals, 1977).

Its applicability as a bedding material has also been reported. Kahraman et al. (2021) evaluated the effect of using clinoptilolite as barn bedding on milk yield and welfare indicators, examining its potential as an inorganic bedding material (Kahraman et al., Kafkas Univ. Vet. Fak. Derg., 2021). However, mastitis and SCC are not determined by bedding material alone, and the need to view them together with the overall udder-health management system—milking hygiene, teat disinfection, ventilation, and more—is emphasized even in systematic reviews (Zapata-Salas et al., Veterinary World, 2022).

KMIZEOLITE's natural clinoptilolite is 97% pure, mined and processed at the Amargosa Valley mine in Nevada, USA, with a specific surface area of 40.0 m²/g, a stable pH range of 3.0–10.0, and thermal stability up to 700°C, making it suitable for bedding and barn environments. Because stall bedding is a facility/environmental use rather than a feed ingested by livestock, the FDA recognizes it as GRAS as a general-purpose anticaking agent and adsorbent under 21 CFR 182.2729 (when used for feed ingestion, 21 CFR 582.2729 applies).

KMIZEOLITE Key Properties

Property	Value
Clinoptilolite purity	97%
Cation exchange capacity (CEC)	1.6–2.0 meq/g
Ammonium (NH₄⁺) adsorption capacity (reference, aqueous)	about 0.5 mg/g (Mažeikienė et al., 2008)
Specific surface area	40.0 m²/g
Pore diameter	4.0–7.0 Å
Stable pH range	3.0–10.0
Hardness	4.0–5.0 Mohs
Thermal stability	700°C
Specific gravity	1.89
Bulk density	45–54 lbs/ft³
Certifications	OMRI KMI-10365, FDA GRAS, TSCA, EN-71-3

Bedding Application Examples: Freestall & Bedded-Pack Scenarios

Below are representative scenarios in which zeolite bedding is considered on dairy farms. Stall bedding is a facility-hygiene use and is unrelated to the animals' feed intake.

Freestall top-dressing: Lightly spreading fine to granular clinoptilolite over existing bedding material (sand, sawdust, mats) to adsorb surface moisture and ammonium and keep the stall dry
Bedded-pack surface reinforcement: Reinforcing wet sections of the bedded-pack (bottom) surface with granules to suppress localized high humidity and ammonia generation
Calving and dry-cow barn hygiene: Applying it to bedding in sections with high environmental mastitis exposure around calving to lower the risk of new infections
Milking-route deodorizing: Spreading granules in holding areas, alleyways, and other zones where ammonia and odor concentrate to improve air quality
Pilot-bay comparison: Applying it only to some bays and comparing bedding moisture and individual-cow SCC against a control before deciding on barn-wide adoption

Recommended Particle Size and Product Specifications

For bedding top-dressing, Medium Granule (14×40 mesh) or Fine Granule (30×50 mesh)—which scatter little and are easy to handle—are suitable, and to accelerate surface moisture adsorption and deodorizing, some Powder (100 mesh) can be considered in a blend. However, to reduce teat contamination before milking, carefully adjust the application rate and placement of powder. Refer to the table below to select the product group suited to your use.

Product group	Mesh	Particle size	Typical use
Powder	100 mesh or finer	<150μm	Pozzolan, feed, powder adsorption
Fine Granule	30×50 mesh	0.3–0.6mm	Water treatment, filtration, soil
Medium Granule	14×40 mesh	0.4–1.4mm	Filter media, bedding, flooring
Coarse Granule	8×14 mesh	1.4–2.4mm	Swimming pools, de-icing, large filtration
Extra Coarse	4×8 mesh	2.4–4.8mm	Packed beds, air scrubbers

→ View products by mesh size · Product selection guide by application

On-Site Review Points: Bedding & SCC Management Checklist

When adopting zeolite bedding, be sure to verify the following items together.

Bedding moisture measurement: Compare bedding surface moisture and soiling before and after application in the same section to quantitatively evaluate the adsorption effect
SCC tracking: Divide bulk-tank SCC and individual-cow SCC (test-day records) into application and control groups to observe changes in the new-infection rate (refer to the Lehew & Dechow, 2021 approach)
Combine with milking hygiene: Bedding improvement alone does not solve mastitis. Be sure to combine it with pre- and post-milking teat disinfection, milking-machine maintenance, and dry-period management (Zapata-Salas et al., 2022)
Application rate and frequency: Set the application rate and replenishment frequency to match bedding soiling, herd size, and ventilation, and check teat contamination when using powder
Ventilation and ammonia: Check barn ventilation status and ammonia concentration together to judge the adsorption load and replacement timing
Certification check: To use it as organic dairy bedding, verify OMRI Listed (KMI-10365) compliance. Because bedding is not a feed-ingestion use, the GRAS designation is based on the 21 CFR 182.2729 standard

→ View TDS (Technical Data Sheet) · View MSDS (Safety Data Sheet)

Dairy Cow Bedding & Somatic Cell Count FAQ

Does zeolite bedding directly lower mastitis and somatic cell count?

Zeolite itself is not a drug that treats mastitis or directly reduces somatic cell count (SCC). Environmental mastitis occurs when environmental bacteria such as E. coli and streptococci, which multiply in wet bedding, invade through the teat, and SCC is an indicator of the immune response to that infection (Zapata-Salas et al., 2022; Lehew & Dechow, 2021). Natural clinoptilolite is a hygiene-support material that, through moisture and ammonium (NH₄⁺) adsorption, keeps bedding dry and unfavorable for bacterial growth, thereby reducing the risk of environmental mastitis exposure and SCC increases. Its effect must be evaluated together with overall milking, teat hygiene, and bedding management.

Why is keeping bedding dry important for somatic cell count management?

Environmental mastitis bacteria multiply rapidly in wet bedding rich in manure and moisture. The higher the bedding moisture, the longer the teat ends are exposed to environmental bacteria, and as new infections accumulate, the herd-wide bulk-tank SCC rises, affecting milk grade and settlement price. Natural clinoptilolite contributes to keeping the bedding surface dry and low in odor by adsorbing moisture through its porous framework and capturing manure-derived ammonium via cation exchange.

How much ammonium (NH₄⁺) does it adsorb, and by what mechanism?

Clinoptilolite has a negatively charged framework and selectively adsorbs cations such as ammonium (NH₄⁺) via cation exchange. This captures the ammoniacal nitrogen generated as manure decomposes in the NH₄⁺ form, reducing odor and irritant gases. Mažeikienė et al. (2008) reported an ammonium adsorption capacity of about 0.5 mg/g for natural clinoptilolite, with ammonium removal efficiency of 72–86% under static conditions and 95–99.9% under dynamic (filtration) conditions. Bedding differs from an aqueous system, so the figures cannot be applied directly, but the ammonium affinity provides the basis for deodorizing and drying support in bedding.

How is it applied to freestall bedding? Does it replace sand or sawdust?

Generally, rather than fully replacing existing bedding material (sand, sawdust, mats), it is considered as a top-dressing approach in which fine to granular natural clinoptilolite is lightly spread over the bedding surface to adsorb moisture and ammonium. For spreading, 14×40 mesh or 30×50 mesh granules with little powder scatter are easy to handle, and to reduce teat contamination before milking, the application rate and frequency are adjusted to the degree of bedding soiling. Before adoption, it is advisable to pilot it on some bays and evaluate bedding moisture and SCC against a control.

It is not fed to animals, so how do GRAS and certifications apply?

Stall bedding is a facility/environmental use, not a feed use ingested by livestock. Natural clinoptilolite is recognized as GRAS by the US FDA as a general-purpose anticaking agent and adsorbent under 21 CFR 182.2729 (when used for feed ingestion, 21 CFR 582.2729 applies separately). KMIZEOLITE products hold certifications including OMRI Listed (KMI-10365), TSCA compliance, and EN-71-3 PASS. For organic dairy applications, please verify OMRI compliance.

Inquiries and Sample Requests

If you are considering applying zeolite to dairy cow stall bedding, mastitis, and somatic cell count management, please get in touch through the channels below.

Notice

Whether the material is suitable may vary depending on site conditions, regulations, and test results. Before actual application, testing and review appropriate to the site conditions must always come first. Zeolite is best understood not as a cure-all for mastitis and somatic cell count problems, but as a material that supports bedding hygiene.

Zeolite for Dairy Cow Stall Bedding: Mastitis & Somatic Cell Count Management