Slurry handling at new site

[letsmakemilk]

Hi All,

We have a new site, sheds are up but next step is slurry handling for 120 cows. What we want is a neat (within reason), easily managed system without incurring outrageous cost.
There's potential to have slats at the end of a shed, but just wondering what you would do if you had a blank canvas and were trying to fulfil the above goals? Slats, no slats, above ground storage, size of various stores etc.

Any input welcomed!

 

[RAF]

Tower all the way filled by electric pump , empty via gate valve in side , not a messy reception pit

 

[letsmakemilk]

Tower all the way filled by electric pump , empty via gate valve in side , not a messy reception pit

Do you have this system? What capacity do you need in the 'initial' lagoon the slurry is pumped from? Never gone above ground before

 

[vantage]

Cheapest if you have the soil type is an earth lagoon,concrete floor if you bed on sand. Surely slurry should have been the first consideration before the sheds,unless they were there already?

 

[RAF]

Cleanest way I see is a tower , and they are a lot quicker to pump out off to empty , lagoons are messy . holding tank 20000 gallon but it’s up to you really .

 

[kill]

Cubicle bedding is first decision.
Sand or never sand.
Cows love sand both for hygiene and comfort as there's nothing really to beat it.

But sand rules out slats and tower stores forever.

Think carefully as there's no turning back.

 

[alan6430]

Dig a little bit. Maybe 5000 gallon and empty is out and spread with tanker every day. Cheapest slurry pit you could ever have is spread all over the field

 

[kill]

Dig a little bit. Maybe 5000 gallon and empty is out and spread with tanker every day. Cheapest slurry pit you could ever have is spread all over the field

NVZ's????

 

[bigw]

Dig a little bit. Maybe 5000 gallon and empty is out and spread with tanker every day. Cheapest slurry pit you could ever have is spread all over the field

You must have a dry farm.

 

[alan6430]

You must have a dry farm.

Pit holds about 3 weeks but I spread slurry as often as I can and I can usually find somewhere dry to take it

 

[Will Blackburn]

Tower all the way filled by electric pump , empty via gate valve in side , not a messy reception pit

We have a tractor pump as the tower is 200m away, electric is nice but not always feasible.

 

[Will Blackburn]

We moved to slats from a ramped store, made a big difference to the routine, also they in effect more than doubled the capacity of the reception tank 5000G.

 

[upnortheast]

You should take into account the value of having enough storage so you can spread at the most benificial time.
We reckon 3000 gall slurry gives 100 units N 36 P 80 K Worth approx £50 acre when spread at the right time.
Since we went onto slats with 8 months storage we have reduced purchased N ( & P & K )significantly £££££
This year big 1st cut on 1.5 bag N + 3000 gall slurry
Outside my window is a big 2nd cut desperate to be cut - had 1 bag N + 2000 gall slurry
3rd cut will get 2000 gall slurry ( all per acre )

 

[Water Wheel]

What new rules on slurry storage are just round the corner, covered stores etc etc?

In wet year we need 6 months storage to comply with NVZ rules, with an old system and big areas of concrete, we have an enormous lagoon, don't fancy updating this for any new rules.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Hole in ground made of concrete is surely the most idiot proof and long lived??

Whatever you do have a store that you could cover with a cover or roof in future in case the ministry insist on it.

Id have slats each end and autoscrapers. Bed on ground straw. Easy life.

Think about a system that absolutely eliminates any regular labour input as far as possible. You may not be able to find it at all in future.

 

[Boysground]

If it was me I would build as though the farm was within a NVZ. It could save a headache in the future. I see that @letsmakemilk is in Wiltshire so it’s likely there is a NVZ not too far away.

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[deleted user 837354]

You might not be in an NVZ today but nothing to stop them putting you in one tomorrow. Phosphate be the next issue if not ammonia and NOx from livestock.

 

[Boysground]

Remember splash plates are on the agenda so look at the spreading method.

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[vantage]

Pretty sure we’re going to have an all Wales 5 month storage requirement foisted on us by Welsh Assembly Government soon,will push many out of business,high costs for some and a waste of money for farms with shorter winter.

 

[dinderleat]

Pretty sure we’re going to have an all Wales 5 month storage requirement foisted on us by Welsh Assembly Government soon,will push many out of business,high costs for some and a waste of money for farms with shorter winter.

Just dig a hole a say it’s how ever deep you need it to be they are not going to check?!