A:
The BioBarrel® has incorporated wood fibers to help provide MORE durability and strength. The wood and straw fiber blend adds more persistence to extremes in environmental conditions, while still having the convenience of degradability it has always provided.
No. Extensive field testing has shown that consumption and feeding rate will be the same for either container option.
The BioBarrel® eliminates concerns, labor and costs associated with collecting and returning barrels or disposing of other containers. The BioBarrel® offers increased value over other non-returnable delivery systems as a true “single-trip” container. Once it is placed in a pasture, it does not need to be handled again.
The BioBarrel® does not contain any synthetic ingredients or adhesives, only straw and soy flour. BioBarrel® is thicker and stronger than cardboard or fiber containers and maintains its integrity in prolonged storage. The supplement will not “wick” through, as with other cardboard or fiber containers. Plus the BioBarrel® undergoes a more natural degradation without the litter of fiber or cardboard containers once the supplement is consumed.
The BioBarrel® will withstand normal precipitation. The container is not designed for placement in standing water or excessively muddy conditions. CRYSTALYX® in steel barrels would be better suited for these conditions.
The BioBarrel® normally degrades as animals consume the CRYSTALYX® low-moisture block.
Consumption of the BioBarrel® may occur and will not harm the animal.
Steel barrels are durable and returnable, but do have the added costs to return the containers. Steel barrels are also environmentally friendly as they are removed from pastures but do require the added steps of returning the containers. Because the BioBarrel® naturally degrades and disappears, the need for collection and return is eliminated. In addition, regional availability of the steel barrels can become limiting at times.
Plastic containers can be blown around the pasture after the product inside has been consumed and must be collected and then disposed of after use, which causes environmental concerns. The BioBarrel® eliminates the collection and disposal issues associated with plastic containers.