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Nutrient Management Planning!Part 1 |
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The title of this 6-part summary series on livestock waste handling systems is focused on 6 basic functions of planning, production, collection, storage, treatment, transfer, and utilization. I have used the term “nutrient management” in the title rather than “waste” because dairy manure is a valuable fertilizer commodity. The limitation of this valuable commodity is we unfortunately have more than we need at inopportune times of the year, particularly in western Washington and Oregon.
It is important to understand that more than manure (feces plus urine) ends up in your manure handling system. Additional inputs can be: wasted feed, milkhouse wastes, bedding, rain runoff, and silage leachate. These must be considered when sizing your manure handling system.
From a “big picture” perspective, a documented plan for these items is helpful because every aspect of the dairy can contribute to the overall production of manure. We can estimate with reasonable accuracy the production of manure from cows using book values, and over a couple seasons, most dairies will know how much manure volume is produced simply by visual observation of long-term storage facilities. Higher producing cows which eat more can produce upwards of 120 pounds of total manure per day. However, keep in mind that as milk production efficiency per cow increases, overall manure management may be improved as well.
A variety of production management strategies (BST use, artificial photoperiod lighting, and 3X milking) may improve overall nutrient management because we can minimize the need to accommodate more cows. This is especially important in western Washington, where our land bases are becoming increasingly limited.
If we can track the amount of water we use in milking and milkhouse procedures, we may be able to identify some areas we can improve. An example is recycling plate cooler and sanitation water for parlor washdown. Keep safety in mind, however, when the potential exists for certain sanitizers to become mixed.
Take a close look at how your cows eat. If they can pull a lot of hay or silage into the system, then consider modifying some bunks or stanchions which limit this activity. The goal is to get the feed into the cow and not on the ground.
The same can apply to bedding and how cows use it in your facilities. When I milked cows in Oregon, I cut my bedding costs 75% by installing loop-free stalls modified with a solid bottom surface. I was using 1 load of sawdust or paper pulp per month, and I reduced that to about three loads per year. The freestall remodel cost $8,000 for 220 stalls (I did a lot of the labor), and bedding was $200/load delivered. That’s a savings of $1800/year in bedding costs alone that did not end up in the manure storage facilities, not to mention the improved cow comfort, increased production, and fewer cows lost due to injuries from my old freestalls.
A huge contributor to the production of manure is rainfall runoff entering the manure collection system. Gutters and downspouts can divert clean water back to the source and not into the system. In addition, minimizing silage leachate from entering the system is also a bonus.
Most material I use to write these summary articles come from the NRCS National Engineering Handbook Part 651, Manure Management Guidelines for Western Washington, and other practical sources.
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A.Robert Dyk,Dairy Agent
WSU-Whatcom County
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robert@puyallup.edu |
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