MANURE

Technology continues to push the dairy industry forward with bigger, better, more automated equipment – yet some old reliables are making a comeback. Manure gutter cleaners have existed for more than 60 years.

“What is my manure worth?” This is a common question I get once a producer understands what I do and my role with Nutrient Advisors. As any good consultant would answer, I say, “It depends.”

Farmers have been adopting no-till cropping methods to reduce sediment loss. However, tillage has been touted as a way to incorporate manure into soils to minimize nutrient loss.

Most days your automatic scraper system chugs along in the barn, doing its job. Until it doesn’t. Then it’s an emergency call to your dealer and extra shipping and service fees for replacement parts. All the while manure is building up, impacting cow cleanliness and milk quality.

Reading and interpreting a nutrient management plan (NMP) can be intimidating. The plan has a lot of charts, numbers and symbols.

Dairy operations looking to add a manure processing or treatment option to the farm need to first understand what is driving this change.