• Welcome to The Farming Forum!

    As part of this update, we have made a change to the login and registration process. If you are experiences any problems, please email [email protected] with the details so we can resolve any issues.

Slurry contractors and biosecurity

early riser

Member
Location
Up North
I usually apply all our slurry using our own splash plate tanker. However, due to second cut aftermaths greening up very fast, coupled with lack of rain in forecast, I’m considering getting a contractor in with a tanker equipped with trailing shoe.

My only concern is biosecurity risks. I run a high health status closed herd with no DD and very small level of Johnes. How high are the risks of bringing in these diseases with contractors kit? What is the likely persistence of bacteria in the soil? Slurry would be applied to fields destined for third cut followed by late season grazing with milkers.

The risks need to be balanced against the fact that I’ve got an ever-increasing lagoon full of slurry that will have to go somewhere before winter.

Basically am I being overly worried/pedantic/OCD or is there a genuine high risk?

Thanks
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Moderator
Location
Anglesey
Has to be a consideration but if you are really worried, go for shallow injection
However trailing shoe will minimise leaf contamination and the process of silage fermentation should cook out most bacteria
 
Location
cumbria
It's not high risk.

My reading isn't current. The last I knew persistence in silage was an unknown. Persistence in soil was thought to be around a year.

The management advice in this area is to avoid feeding either the silage or grass to youngstock.

The fact that its a one off is also working in your favour.
I wonder if there is any value in paying the contractor to hose his tank out before he get to you, or even if that's an option?
 

pappuller

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
M6 Hard shoulder
I usually apply all our slurry using our own splash plate tanker. However, due to second cut aftermaths greening up very fast, coupled with lack of rain in forecast, I’m considering getting a contractor in with a tanker equipped with trailing shoe.

My only concern is biosecurity risks. I run a high health status closed herd with no DD and very small level of Johnes. How high are the risks of bringing in these diseases with contractors kit? What is the likely persistence of bacteria in the soil? Slurry would be applied to fields destined for third cut followed by late season grazing with milkers.

The risks need to be balanced against the fact that I’ve got an ever-increasing lagoon full of slurry that will have to go somewhere before winter.

Basically am I being overly worried/pedantic/OCD or is there a genuine high risk?

Thanks
We fitted a mastek 7m dribble bar to our existing tanker with v little trouble means you don't have to be in a mad rush after cutting to get the slurry on.
Regards your question I wouldn't know
 

SJM

Member
Same situation with us. Spray disinfectant over all tyres, steps, splash plates ect. Drivers dunk boots and gloves in disinfectant also. Always use our suction hose and don’t go on grazing fields. Doesn’t take long and mitigates a bit of the risk to an acceptable level we think.
 

Peppa pig

Member
Location
Castle douglas
Had this problem a few years ago as a spreading contractor as a vet started questioning biosecurity.my answer was hes a bigger threat as his car was always manky drove right into and around the dairy and loved shoving his arm up any cows arse or fiddling with animals on farm.was he always cleaned down with disinfectant??were his tools sanitised between farms??how many needles had he shoved in a bottle of medicine before injecting your cow?? Remember he mostly visits sick animals.also the salesmen who go from farm to farm with sh!t on there car and shoes and wander around calf houses and feed passages how can slurry spreading away from the animals be a high biosecurity risk.
 

Attachments

  • 59939351-984E-43A8-87BD-B8AA90E9BD49.jpeg
    59939351-984E-43A8-87BD-B8AA90E9BD49.jpeg
    157.9 KB · Views: 76

early riser

Member
Location
Up North
Had this problem a few years ago as a spreading contractor as a vet started questioning biosecurity.my answer was hes a bigger threat as his car was always manky drove right into and around the dairy and loved shoving his arm up any cows arse or fiddling with animals on farm.was he always cleaned down with disinfectant??were his tools sanitised between farms??how many needles had he shoved in a bottle of medicine before injecting your cow?? Remember he mostly visits sick animals.also the salesmen who go from farm to farm with sh!t on there car and shoes and wander around calf houses and feed passages how can slurry spreading away from the animals be a high biosecurity risk.

I would suggest your experience of vets is not representative of most UK vets.

Callers strictly by appointment only on this farm.

Much easier to disinfect a vet's boots off than the inner workings of a trailing shoe/dribble bar/macerator that has had umpteen different farm's slurry pumped through it.
 

How is your SFI 24 application progressing?

  • havn't been invited to apply

    Votes: 28 36.4%
  • have been invited to apply

    Votes: 13 16.9%
  • applied but not yet accepted

    Votes: 28 36.4%
  • agreement up and running

    Votes: 8 10.4%

Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

  • 2,393
  • 49
On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
Back
Top