Cheapest way to store slurry?
- Thread starter GTB
- Start date
who the hell would do that
yea I have always wanted to see the land of milk and honeyI think we all need a trip to see @GTB's place
- Location
- Ceredigion, wales
You're more than welcome. Just bring your wellies (and a boat)yea I have always wanted to see the land of milk and honey
rc mx110
Member
More like land of mud and runny these daysyea I have always wanted to see the land of milk and honey
P.O.T
Member
- Location
- Dumfries and Galloway
Neighbour across river has 3 million gallon circular lagoon. 1 half definately looks above ground, other half maybe partly into banking. Looks a tidy job from afar anyway
Water is very expensive to store. There could be some easy gains by not producing the volume in the first place if you look at your set up with a fresh set of eyes.
Different approach from everyone else but try and outwinter some? If they arent in the shed then then there is no slurry to spread and possibly no need for a new store.
Even a few out for an extra month all helps. I had my 20 cows out till early december (month later than i thought they would have to come in) then then half of them came in a couple of weeks later. Ive had 6 in calf heifers and a bull out and they have only just come in today. Its made a noticable difference to how big my muckheap (no slurry here) is and how much straw ive used so far. That was just with leaving them in a field and putting bales in a feeder no real plan to it all. The cows themselves werent making a mess only some round the feeder but od started making a mess taking the bales to them after all the rain weve had so i bought them in. I think ive saved enough straw now to not have to buy more this year will probably turn out sooner than i normally would this spring too as soon as the ground is hard enough not when there is enough grass like i normally do. If i have to bring them back in it doesnt really matter anyway does it.
I think if i planned ahead more i could leave at least half my cattle out all winter. Id do a couple of fields of defered grazing and put bales in lines in the field so the cows could strip graze and have bales when i move the fence for them. No need to tske a tractor to the field then that would eliminate the biggest mess maker. That field then could be a sacrifice field for a kale crop to outwinter the store cattle the next year if the cows made a mess of it.
Thats what i have going round my head now. Cattle outside saves a lot no need for expensive storage and no spreading costs either i know it might not work for a million reasons you are the only one that will know if your farm is capable of doing anyrhing like that. Ive learnt a lot about it and what my farm might be capable of just doing what i did this year. Just something for you to think about
Even a few out for an extra month all helps. I had my 20 cows out till early december (month later than i thought they would have to come in) then then half of them came in a couple of weeks later. Ive had 6 in calf heifers and a bull out and they have only just come in today. Its made a noticable difference to how big my muckheap (no slurry here) is and how much straw ive used so far. That was just with leaving them in a field and putting bales in a feeder no real plan to it all. The cows themselves werent making a mess only some round the feeder but od started making a mess taking the bales to them after all the rain weve had so i bought them in. I think ive saved enough straw now to not have to buy more this year
will probably turn out sooner than i normally would this spring too as soon as the ground is hard enough not when there is enough grass like i normally do. If i have to bring them back in it doesnt really matter anyway does it. I think if i planned ahead more i could leave at least half my cattle out all winter. Id do a couple of fields of defered grazing and put bales in lines in the field so the cows could strip graze and have bales when i move the fence for them. No need to tske a tractor to the field then that would eliminate the biggest mess maker. That field then could be a sacrifice field for a kale crop to outwinter the store cattle the next year if the cows made a mess of it.
Thats what i have going round my head now. Cattle outside saves a lot no need for expensive storage and no spreading costs either
i know it might not work for a million reasons you are the only one that will know if your farm is capable of doing anyrhing like that. Ive learnt a lot about it and what my farm might be capable of just doing what i did this year. Just something for you to think about 
Dead Rabbits
Member
- Location
- 'Merica
Why no gypsum?
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Yes, and pumping it 5 or 6 times...
- Location
- Ceredigion, wales
I get what you're saying and of course it makes sense. Just not sure I could make it work here without having to sacrifice a lot of Spring grazing. This place is pretty steep and I'm afraid most winters are so wet that the soil would turn to soup and simply run off the side of the hill never to be seen again. Plus of course by not having slurry we would need to buy s lot more bagged ferts to be able to produce enough silage for the cattle.Different approach from everyone else but try and outwinter some? If they arent in the shed then then there is no slurry to spread and possibly no need for a new store.
Even a few out for an extra month all helps. I had my 20 cows out till early december (month later than i thought they would have to come in) then then half of them came in a couple of weeks later. Ive had 6 in calf heifers and a bull out and they have only just come in today. Its made a noticable difference to how big my muckheap (no slurry here) is and how much straw ive used so far. That was just with leaving them in a field and putting bales in a feeder no real plan to it all. The cows themselves werent making a mess only some round the feeder but od started making a mess taking the bales to them after all the rain weve had so i bought them in. I think ive saved enough straw now to not have to buy more this year
I think if i planned ahead more i could leave at least half my cattle out all winter. Id do a couple of fields of defered grazing and put bales in lines in the field so the cows could strip graze and have bales when i move the fence for them. No need to tske a tractor to the field then that would eliminate the biggest mess maker. That field then could be a sacrifice field for a kale crop to outwinter the store cattle the next year if the cows made a mess of it.
Thats what i have going round my head now. Cattle outside saves a lot no need for expensive storage and no spreading costs either
@Brisel I also get your point about not producing as much liquid. Two ways of doing this: use deep bedded loose housing (2nd quality straw currently £120+ per ton) or keep the rain water out by roofing the yards and slurry pit. The problem with the latter is of course that the slurry becomes difficult to spread. It's neither slurry nor muck and like I said, an umbilical can go places a tanker or muck spreader can't.
Causes a reaction in the slurry releasing hydrogen sulphide when stirred.
All info here:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr1041.pdf
Was emptying a lagoon the other week and I have to say if it was me a tower or a concrete walled lagoon would be the only thing I would have if it was me. Tanker with a 20ft pipe using the filler arm could only drop the first 2ft of slurry then had to add an extension pipe. Takes a lot longer filling with that much pipe can't get as much in either. Usually only put 12ft pipe on to the funnel. There's also a part of the bank on one side that has started to erode with stirrer circulating slurry against it
wasted years
Member
- Location
- Cumbrian born and bread
I got a 150k gallon lagoon dug , with planning etc for 2 grand.
what about a separator ?
I don't know much about them but if you take all the solids out then you will be left with something much more watery without adding water
you will have less to go in the pit you have now and the solids can be tipped in a heap to spread at a sensible time I presume
not sure if you Welsh boys can get grants to roof yards and pits like we can ? which will reduce water in the sh!t even more
maybe best to reduce the amount rather than look for more storage
we use cubicles but don't have slurry all the yards are under a roof now and its made a difference, we push it off the yard into a pit but it won't "flow" away hence its dung not slurry, I throw it back with the slew then load and spread later in the summer
- Location
- Near Colchester
The trouble with grants - we all know - is that they bump up the cost by having to have expensive drawings and over doing the design, then they cost more as the manufacturers see the grant and see you coming.
Having said that; when we went all through this with the dirty water job 30 years ago, having the ADAS chap come in and make a few suggestions about how to organise things was extremely useful.
Following this I built a circular tank as a reception pit, in the ground, 15 feet diameter and 12 feet deep out of 6 inch hollow blocks - 'as long as you make sure the vertical joints are filled correctly it will last' - no reinforcing, back filled the outside as I built it. They were right, it is still fine.
Although the forum is packed full of good advice, as @Penmoel says, we need to visit to appreciate the situation fully, maybe a visiting paid adviser might be worth it.
I haven't got time to get over there this year, or probably next.
Having said that; when we went all through this with the dirty water job 30 years ago, having the ADAS chap come in and make a few suggestions about how to organise things was extremely useful.
Following this I built a circular tank as a reception pit, in the ground, 15 feet diameter and 12 feet deep out of 6 inch hollow blocks - 'as long as you make sure the vertical joints are filled correctly it will last' - no reinforcing, back filled the outside as I built it. They were right, it is still fine.
Although the forum is packed full of good advice, as @Penmoel says, we need to visit to appreciate the situation fully, maybe a visiting paid adviser might be worth it.
I haven't got time to get over there this year, or probably next.
Sparkymark
Member
When i needed more storage, i dug my own lagoon with my own 13 ton digger. This was by far the cheapest option for me. I got EA approval and planning permission.
I built mine into the side of a hill so i only had 3 walls to build as it is above ground level. I would have been into the water table had it been a hole in the ground. I chose to have mine lined to ensure no seepage. Cost about 10k, most of this from the liner.
I built mine into the side of a hill so i only had 3 walls to build as it is above ground level. I would have been into the water table had it been a hole in the ground. I chose to have mine lined to ensure no seepage. Cost about 10k, most of this from the liner.
ollie989898
Member
If you have an above ground store, for godsake have an outlet installed in the side with two gate valves so you can fill tanker of umbilical directly from it rather than drawing from the reception pit.