Diatesorb Ultrabed

Diatesorb Ultrabed is a natural bedding additive that helps keep your calf pens drier, cleaner, and healthier.

Made from fossilised marine material, Diatesorb Ultrabed absorbs moisture from urine and faeces fast. It also reduces ammonia and other smells, helping to lower the risk of infection. The blend includes spore-forming bacillus bacteria, enzymes like lipase and amylase, and essential oils to support a cleaner, healthier environment for young stock.

Scientifically-proven features and benefits:

Powerful moisture absorption (up to 140%) keeps bedding dry
Reduces ammonia and odour to limit infection risk
Supports animal health, skin condition, and comfort
Contains beneficial enzymes and spore-forming bacteria
Pleasant scent, non-irritating, and safe for all livestock
Light, easy to apply, non-dusty, and non-flammable
Compostable and improves soil nutrient availability
Cost-effective way to create a cleaner, healthier environment

Get in touch with your local Agvance Consultant today to discuss how Diatesorb Ultrabed can improve your calf-rearing programme.

Talk to your local Agvance Consultant

What makes Diatesorb so good?

Freshly-calved cows can’t wait around for minerals after calving. Free Choice Colostrum Starter gives them instant access, helping keep them healthy and productive right from the start. Better colostrum means healthier calves and a stronger herd.

Easy and cost-effective to use

Dairy cows: 1 x per week 250g-500g/m2 in the stall
Calves: 250g/m2 in the stall
Poultry: 3-6kg aggregates/m2

For cattle, apply Diatesorb initially at a rate of 1 bag per 50-100m². For further applications, apply a rate of 100g/m² once a week or as needed. Use in stalls, barn walkways and resting areas, calf pens, maternity pens, trailers and around water troughs. Applying Diatesorb will also result in a more slip-resistant surface.

Ready to put smelly, dirty pens to bed?

Call 0800 BALANCE, contact your local Agvance consultant, or log in to your Agvance account to order online. Give your calves the healthy bedding they deserve.

What the research shows

A 2025 housing study found that diatomite-containing mineral sprinkles increased litter dry matter and reduced ammonium nitrogen, with minor but significant reductions in ammonia and other air pollutants, showing how mineral absorbents can help improve bedding conditions and shed air quality. (DOI: 10.2478/aspr-2025-0007)
A dairy bedding study found that applying a microbial conditioner to recycled manure solids changed the bedding bacterial profile, improved hygiene, and was linked with fewer potential mastitis pathogens on bedding and teat skin, supporting the role of bacterial and enzymatic bedding conditioners in creating a cleaner animal environment. (DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04263-23)
A controlled dairy study found that a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner altered sawdust bedding pH and dry matter and reduced environmental pathogen counts and teat-end bacterial counts after application, showing how bedding amendments can influence hygiene conditions in housed cattle. (DOI: 10.3168/jds.2012-6020)

Limits

These studies assess diatomite-based litter amendments, microbial bedding conditioners, and bedding treatment strategies in livestock housing, not Diatesorb Ultrabed itself or its exact blend, application rate, or calf-pen programme.

Study details and links

What was tested

Research on bedding and litter additives relevant to Diatesorb Ultrabed, including a diatomite-based mineral sprinkle study in poultry housing, a microbial bedding conditioner study in dairy housing, and a clay-based bedding conditioner study in dairy cattle.

What was measured

Litter dry matter, ammonium nitrogen and air pollutants such as ammonia, changes in bedding microbial profile and hygiene status, and environmental pathogen or teat-end bacterial counts linked with bedding treatment.

Study links (DOI / publisher)

Effect of diatomite-containing mineral sprinkles on litter properties and air pollutants in broiler houses, Animal Science Papers and Reports: DOI 10.2478/aspr-2025-0007
Publisher page: https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/aspr-2025-0007
Conditioner application improves bedding quality and bacterial composition with potential beneficial impacts for dairy cow’s health, Microbiology Spectrum: DOI 10.1128/spectrum.04263-23
Publisher page: https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.04263-23
Evaluation of a clay-based acidic bedding conditioner for dairy cattle bedding, Journal of Dairy Science: DOI 10.3168/jds.2012-6020
Publisher page: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030212009253

More detail on limits

The evidence supports the general use of mineral and microbial bedding additives to improve bedding condition, hygiene, and air quality, rather than proving the performance of Diatesorb Ultrabed as a branded product on its own.
Results can vary with bedding type, moisture load, housing design, ventilation, stocking density, pathogen pressure, cleaning frequency, application rate, and the exact mineral and microbial composition of the product used.

Diatesorb Ultrabed