3-4ft of foam on top of slurry

[Rob Graham]

Having problems with foam on top of a tank, had it last year too but not before that. The foam is purging through a hole in lids in the feed passage and when we need the capacity it's a torture having to move it! Any ideas what causes this? No washings enter the tank!

 

[Scholsey]

What bedding type are you using?

 

[Rob Graham]

Sawdust lime mix

 

[Scholsey]

Have you always used that or changed onto it in last couple of years?

 

[Rob Graham]

I guess it does correspond with it, but used to lime in the morning and sawdust in the evening before moving to premixed

 

[Rob Graham]

...and just thinking, it doesn't affect the adjacent tanks

 

[pappuller]

...and just thinking, it doesn't affect the adjacent tanks

Silage effluent entering the tank ?

 

[Rob Graham]

Nope...and when it's moved to another tank and pumped to the store it doesn't froth! Hmmm

 

[wr.]

 

[dazza b]

Diet?

 

[miniconnect]

Is it frothing only when you mix it or is it by itself? Splash of the red stuff will stop it frothing either way.

 

[Rob Graham]

Is it frothing only when you mix it or is it by itself? Splash of the red stuff will stop it frothing either way.

By itself, red stuff?

 

[Exfarmer]

Thereare various anti foaming agents you can buy and you will be surprised how little you need

 

[Scholsey]

By itself, red stuff?

Cherryade

 

[it's not over]

I had a similar problem last year. I put it down to feeding cow a kilo of hay in tmr as nothing else had changed. The bubbles could be burned if they were burst.blue flame

 

[Princess Pooper]

Gases trapped in by the viscosity of the slurry. Be careful, remember that if there is hydrogen sulphide in with the methane that it is only when it is at low levels you can smell 'bad eggs',. at higher concentrations it has no smell. Methane can also cause explosions. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/swine/news/mayjun10a1.htm
https://www.dairyreporter.com/Article/2014/02/03/cattle-methane-explosion

 

[Rob Graham]

https://www.envirosystems.co.uk/products/antifoaming-agent/
Think I'll play it safe and reduce the nuisance hopefully

 

[Bogeyman]

Do you use slurry bugs ,my tanks would foam about 2 days after mixing but next day are gone.

 

[Shep]

Be careful, a friend of mine was welding a gate above slats, when the sparks ignited the whole tank, there was blue flames coming up through all the slats over the whole area of the tank, it took about 10-20 seconds for the gas to burn off and his tank wasn't even foaming.

 

[Rob Graham]

Do you use slurry bugs ,my tanks would foam about 2 days after mixing but next day are gone.

There was digestate in the tank last year and I thought there may have been an additive or bug that was causing it, but again it didn't happen in the other tanks. 1/3 of the tank is covered and used as a feed passage and the other 2/3 are slatted, the foam always expands out of the small lifting holes in the openings before it will expand through the slats.