Manure

Gypsum recycled from manufacturing and construction waste has gained popularity as a bedding source for the dairy industry. Its proponents cite affordability, increased moisture absorption, low bacteria growth and soil benefits as reasons for its use.

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.

When it comes to robotic milking systems, the more complex your barn design, the more complex the accompanying manure system can be. You have to consider how your manure system fits with cow flow, robot placement, resting spaces, feedbunks and more.

In the past, manure was thought of as a waste and hauled to the field at the expense of the livestock industry. Manure becomes a valuable resource when a farmer credits the nutrients from a manure application, which contributes to the sustainability of the farm by reducing purchased fertilizer.

Manure spills are rarely a planned occurrence. Therefore, it is important to plan your emergency response methods in advance. Progressive Dairyman Editor Karen Lee reached out to three environmental experts to learn what dairy producers, farm employees and other manure handlers should be prepared to do in the event of a manure spill.

It will be two years in August since Mike Biadasz tragically lost his life while agitating a large, outdoor manure pit. The silent killer: hydrogen sulfide gas.