Future proofing

[betweenthelines]

You need a licence to store water for irrigation, which means expensive hoops to jump through.

Why not just grow drought resistant crops like Red clover and Lucerne?

 

[Tirglas]

That's sort of my backup plan, but I liked the aspect of using the current slurry pit for irrigation.
The only thing about a separator (excluding cost) is it's another thing to worry about, maintain and go wrong just when you need it the most!

Am I right in thinking once separated, the solids are p and k rich and the water is basically nitrogen? If so could you spread that behind the cows grazing instead of bagged nitrogen?

I think that most of the K is also in the urine so the liquid fraction would be the the most potent?

 

[Beef farmer]

Spreading dirty water behind cows needs rain.

 

[Sid]

Spreading dirty water behind cows needs rain.

I tried spreading behind to save back fencing......didn't work
They went back grazing it again within 5 days

 

[Beef farmer]

I tried spreading behind to save back fencing......didn't work
They went back grazing it again within 5 days

Tb status... positive?

 

[Sid]

Tb status... positive?

Was 20 years ago before it was at the prevalence it is now!

 

[frederick]

Was 20 years ago before it was at the prevalence it is now!

Sand separation will need 3 phase. About 70k of equipment and another 70k on concrete and pits.
I'm currently looking at the numbers and scratching my head.

 

[Beef farmer]

Sand separation will need 3 phase. About 70k of equipment and another 70k on concrete and pits.
I'm currently looking at the numbers and scratching my head.

Mine cost 24k, no electricity and no equipment. Whats everyone's issue with gravity?
Going to make another separator in aug, some pipes and concrete and gravity

 

[frederick]

Mine cost 24k, no electricity and no equipment. Whats everyone's issue with gravity?
Going to make another separator in aug, some pipes and concrete and gravity

Yes but what percentage maize in ration and when you come to cover slurry how often is the top going to need removing.
Will you have same area of rainfall collecting from another self feed area. To help was the sand out.

 

[Princess Pooper]

We bed milkers on mattresses with a thin layer of chopped straw every other day. The bad news is it is still slurry. It goes into a weeping wall system.

 

[Beef farmer]

Yes but what percentage maize in ration and when you come to cover slurry how often is the top going to need removing.
Will you have same area of rainfall collecting from another self feed area. To help was the sand out.

Shed roof is like a Collinder, so fair bit of water. Similar amount of maize planing to be fed. Going to strain the water off into existing pit and use existing strainer box to pump water to lagoon. Much bigger settlement pit as its kinda already there.

As for covers, I've not lost a wink of sleep over these covers as nobody actually knows the rules. If we need to cover all the lagoons with no time scale and grant aid, then flog the cows and sell up. Wont be the only one, so I guess milk might have to be 40ppl

 

[frederick]

Shed roof is like a Collinder, so fair bit of water. Similar amount of maize planing to be fed. Going to strain the water off into existing pit and use existing strainer box to pump water to lagoon. Much bigger settlement pit as its kinda already there.

As for covers, I've not lost a wink of sleep over these covers as nobody actually knows the rules. If we need to cover all the lagoons with no time scale and grant aid, then flog the cows and sell up. Wont be the only one, so I guess milk might have to be 40ppl

How much maize do you feed. We are feeding over 50% and the sand sticks in the slurry like glue. Very little rainfall gets in the slurry itself. The only rain would be what falls on the lagoon. When we tank 80% of the sand would still be in the slurry and what settles and gets cleaned out by loader would be less than 50% sand.
Without seriously increasing water volumes and the diluting slurry significantly and increasing costs of taking it to away ground I still haven't come across a solution for ourselves without electricity though I am trying hard.

 

[Beef farmer]

How much maize do you feed. We are feeding over 50% and the sand sticks in the slurry like glue. Very little rainfall gets in the slurry itself. The only rain would be what falls on the lagoon. When we tank 80% of the sand would still be in the slurry and what settles and gets cleaned out by loader would be less than 50% sand.
Without seriously increasing water volumes and the diluting slurry significantly and increasing costs of taking it to away ground I still haven't come across a solution for ourselves without electricity though I am trying hard.

Be 50% some years, 0% others. We collect a lot of water.

 

[DairyGrazing]

How much maize do you feed. We are feeding over 50% and the sand sticks in the slurry like glue. Very little rainfall gets in the slurry itself. The only rain would be what falls on the lagoon. When we tank 80% of the sand would still be in the slurry and what settles and gets cleaned out by loader would be less than 50% sand.
Without seriously increasing water volumes and the diluting slurry significantly and increasing costs of taking it to away ground I still haven't come across a solution for ourselves without electricity though I am trying hard.

What do you want the separator to achieve?

A liquid fraction to pump and solid fraction to tip in the field during winter?

 

[onesiedale]

Been thinking about the new elms scheme, restrictions on slurry and increasing number of dry periods and have come up with somewhat of a decent idea in my head and just want to see what other people think!

Because I'm spring calving my thinking is that by the time they're housed in the winter (say from October by night and november by day) a large majority of them would be towards the end of their lactation and therefore the risk of mastitis lower. Therefore my thinking was I could get away with bedding on straw instead of sand and in doing so increase the thickness of the slurry being produced to the point that the stuff in the cubicles is now dung rather than slurry and therefore now stackable. The now remaining slurry from the collecting yard and silage pit (self feed) could be collected and scraped into either a much smaller pit or mixed with dung. The dung could be carted away to my dads farm and stored in the dung store I've got going up this year to be spread on silage ground. Depending on wether the slurry can be mixed with dung or not a new slurry pit could be dug under elms with all the extra kit needed.

This then leaves the current slurry pit empty and unused, I believe there is likely to be money for irrigation systems under the elms scheme?! Could this be used to fill with water for irrigation during the summer to maximise grass growth??

Just thinking out loud at the minute and obviously none of this would be happening for atleast a couple of years!

As you're spring calving, and in Cornwall, why not consider out wintering a portion of the herd? There's no regs on muck for them.

 

[Beef farmer]

As you're spring calving, and in Cornwall, why not consider out wintering a portion of the herd? There's no regs on muck for them.

Yet

 

[frederick]

What do you want the separator to achieve?

A liquid fraction to pump and solid fraction to tip in the field during winter?

Yes liquid for home separated for away ground. Something contractors are happy to pump and something that can be put in a round store with a roof hopefully half paid for by the govt and a farm that passes easily when the ea authorise my dairy permit in 2025.

 

[Beef farmer]

Yes liquid for home separated for away ground. Something contractors are happy to pump and something that can be put in a round store with a roof hopefully half paid for by the govt and a farm that passes easily when the ea authorise my dairy permit in 2025.

Had they not release the final copy of rules if 2025 is the deadline?

 

[frederick]

Oh and recycle some sand

 

[frederick]

Had they not release the final copy of rules if 2025 is the deadline?

My view is they could well turn round in 2025 and say we offered you grants to improve what you've got it's not our fault you didn't take it. Even if the grant may be 50% but could still easily cost you 50-100k of your own cash for everyone 100 cows.