Scraping a channel

[frederick]

Yet me again with slurry. Plans are coming together. sticking with sand. Slurry system first then new cow housing. This means separator is sited for new shed not old. Which means for 3-5 years slurry has to be got to the separator 85 metres away. First plan 3 m track scrape slurry out track every day bit of a hassle but will work.

Channels wont work over this distance unless they are regularly emptied. Has any body ever made something that means you can manually scrape the channel. Even if it was daily at least the majority will have flowed in the channel to the desired locaction. Problems to solve channel needs to be open so fenced or something. Channel needs to prevent the new chap dropping a tractor wheel in. Scraper its self with some heavy box etc would be straightforward enough.

 

[jimmer]

Lay a 4 inch pipe alongside channel into far end to use as recirculation to clear channel

 

[Dead Rabbits]

An ideal opportunity to make a sand lane

 

[frederick]

An ideal opportunity to make a sand lane

The sand lane is after the separator. Without adding very significant water our sand just doesn't drop out of suspension.

 

[frederick]

Lay a 4 inch pipe alongside channel into far end to use as recirculation to clear channel

I would agree for everything apart from sand. Even though in the previous post I argue it doesn't drop out if you add liguid it will and once the sands dropped I don't think water will get it moving again. But would be happy to be proved wrong.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

How much green water do you have available? Make a high volume flush for the lane ? I guess it would depend on volume of manure but flowing water would likely be the most cost and labor effective way to move it.

 

[andrew830]

What type of seperator are you going for?

 

[Boysground]

@frederick I have a Houle gutter scraper system in a channel. Probably 50m or so but could easily handle your distance. Works a treat

All on a timer it runs every hour or so. I am on sand, it’s 10 years old

Bg

 

[frederick]

What type of seperator are you going for?

Looking at a sperrin

 

[William26]

Is it a screw type?

Is it designed to take sand?

 

[frederick]

Is it a screw type?

Is it designed to take sand?

No it's a screen separator.yes it takes sand. Wouldn't go near a screw and sand.

 

[DairyGrazing]

@Beef farmer has sand lands that work very effectively. Putting in one ourselves once we get another cubicle shed up.

 

[frederick]

@Beef farmer has sand lands that work very effectively. Putting in one ourselves once we get another cubicle shed up.

Hell correct me if I'm wrong but I think they are more settlement ponds and require plenty of water in the system

 

[William26]

I agree, had a storth screw but RMS bedding, it worked well but sand is just so much easier to manage

 

[Bramble]

I’ve got an old Sperrin, and an even older Carier side by side. The Carier is slightly better so if they are still available have a look at one of those as well. The Carier is easier to get apart, just little things like captive nuts/bolts rather than a nut and a bolt.

My original Sperrin screen was rubbish and didn’t last long. We now have our own ones rolled and welded. They last twice as long and cost half as much as buying one off the shelf. Consider keeping a spare screen, takes 2 people most of day to change it, including cleaning it to get at everything.

Ours have been in place 15 years and have been very reliable. Occasional bearings, but easy to get at. Screen change every couple of years as they crack eventually.

Make sure you keep it clean if it’s going to freeze. Learnt that one winter when they froze up solid for 10 days, which crested a bit of mess as we need to run them every couple of days.

Bedding on chopped straw on top of matresses

 

[William26]

What's people's thoughts on mclanahan sand separation systems?
Not many in the UK but you can reuse the sand, would the large capital investment be worth it?

 

[Jamer]

What's people's thoughts on mclanahan sand separation systems?
Not many in the UK but you can reuse the sand, would the large capital investment be worth it?

The one I saw a few years ago required very coarse sand to be able to separate.

 

[frederick]

I’ve got an old Sperrin, and an even older Carier side by side. The Carier is slightly better so if they are still available have a look at one of those as well. The Carier is easier to get apart, just little things like captive nuts/bolts rather than a nut and a bolt.

My original Sperrin screen was rubbish and didn’t last long. We now have our own ones rolled and welded. They last twice as long and cost half as much as buying one off the shelf. Consider keeping a spare screen, takes 2 people most of day to change it, including cleaning it to get at everything.

Ours have been in place 15 years and have been very reliable. Occasional bearings, but easy to get at. Screen change every couple of years as they crack eventually.

Make sure you keep it clean if it’s going to freeze. Learnt that one winter when they froze up solid for 10 days, which crested a bit of mess as we need to run them every couple of days.

Bedding on chopped straw on top of matresses

Sperrins now side arm hinges out the way to make screen change much simpler.
Don't think the carrier is still made.. usefull info on making own screens thanks

 

[DairyGrazing]

What's people's thoughts on mclanahan sand separation systems?
Not many in the UK but you can reuse the sand, would the large capital investment be worth it?

One I saw struggled to get the sand clean and dry enough. Need a big area to stock pile and allow for the wet to run out. Still used new sand in dry cows and fresh cows. Like @Jamer said it needs corse sand to work and after time it becomes softer after repeatedly going through the system.

We were on a more of a builders sand for the last month of housing and got feet problems. The softer and smoother the sand the cleaner the cows are.

 

[William26]

That makes sense, I saw an article about Grosvenor Farms and they seem to be getting good results from using it