Manure management & fertilizer

Dairy manure is a sustainable and valuable resource. When managed properly, it impacts farm profitability and overall operation efficiency. Independently managing the solids and liquids gives the flexibility to determine the best way to use them

Cow manure (dung) becomes an excellent, nutrient-rich fertilizer and soil conditioner when it is properly aged or composted. Cow manure has rich in nutrients and organic material that improve soil health in several ways. Fresh cow manure is too potent to be used directly on plants, but processing it reduces the risk.  It is crucial to age or compost cow manure before use to eliminate potential pathogens like E. coli and reduce the high ammonia levels that can burn plants.

Risks of using fresh cow manure

Using unprocessed cow manure can be detrimental to your garden and your health. 

• Contamination: Fresh manure can harbor harmful pathogens like E. coli, which can contaminate vegetables and cause illness.
• Nutrient burn: The high concentration of ammonia and nitrogen in fresh manure can “burn” or kill plant roots.
• Weed seeds: Manure from grazing cattle often contains viable weed seeds that can sprout in your garden and compete with your crops.
• Unbalanced nutrients: Focusing on nitrogen needs can lead to an over-application of phosphorus, which can accumulate in the soil over time and pollute waterways.

Hot composting

This method speeds up the decomposition process through high temperatures. 

1. Build the pile: Combine cow manure (nitrogen-rich “green” material) with carbon-rich “brown” materials like straw, dried leaves, or wood chips at a 1:2 ratio.
2. Moisten: Add water until the pile has the moisture of a damp, wrung-out sponge.
3. Turn regularly: Turn the pile with a fork every 5 to 7 days to aerate it and maintain temperatures between 130–160°F. This heat is what kills pathogens and weed seeds.
4. Cure: After several weeks of turning, let the compost cure for 2 to 6 months. It’s ready when it is dark, crumbly, and has an earthy smell.

Cold composting

This is a simpler, less labor-intensive method that takes longer. 

1. Pile materials: Layer cow manure and brown materials in a pile.
2. Add water: Moisten the pile and then let the microbes work over 6 to 12 months.

Manure Management

Manure scraper systems

Which guarantee problem-free operation for every barn type and barn floor. Scraper specially for farms with concrete floors. Will identify the most efficient solution to your slurry problems based on any given criteria. No structural alterations to buildings are necessary. The combi scraper is easily and quickly assembled to a flat floor, which saves farm construction costs are possible. It is also suitable for passageways of odd lengths.

Chain scraper systems with their single-drive unit design, are designed specifically for use in two-way barns. These systems, offer effective manure removal are generally an ideal solution for medium-sized barns. Chain scrapers use, contribute to maintaining a tidy and hygienic barn, ensuring a healthier environment for animals.

Regular manure removal not only protects the health of the animals but also improves the hygiene and productivity. Manure accumulation in barns, increases the risk of disease, causes unpleasant odors and negatively impacts animal comfort. Therefore, manure removal systems have become an essential component of modern farming

Manure Mixer

Making it easier to pump and eliminating the risk of settling. Manure in the manure pit must be homogenized before being pumped with a manure pump. manure is pumped more easily. Extends the life of manure pumps by preventing solid particles from settling to the bottom.

If you don’t use mixer you cannot pull the manure from pit homogenously and therefore your pump will be blocked and this cause a waste of time and money for you.

Manure Pumping

The dairy farming centrifugal slurry / manure submersible pump electric motor is ideal for stationary use as a chopper pump with mixing facility in pits and other storages. The pump is equipped with a special valve plate to switch between the two possible operations of pumping or mixing. Using the agitation nozzle it is possible to homogenize the slurry before pumping by stirring up floating or sinking layers.

Its specially designed hot-dip galvanized steel base and pulley allow it to be operated at any depth in the pool. Thanks to this mechanism, pump cleaning is no longer a problem. The fan inlet features specially alloyed steel shredding blades. These blades break down incoming sediment, preventing pump clogging. Fan systems designed with both closed and open impellers increase efficiency. Furthermore, it ensures the efficient pumping of homogeneous manure from manure pits in cattle and small livestock farms.

It provides to discharge the homogenously mixed manure from the manure pit to an intended place. Pumps are designed to work in heavy conditions. The chopper blades provide the breaking and cutting of many foreign materials in the manure pit. Platform on which pump is installed is produced according to depth and sizes of your manure pit and works as submersible type operation.

Manure Separation system

to provide high throughput at a low energy demand, the separator systems meet the highest requirements. Slurry separator constructed with highest standards out of stainless steel for all main parts with abnormal contact to the slurry. The slurry Separator specified for the use with slurry and bio gas substrate in its normal consistency. It is excellent for the separation of solids and liquids within an operative range with a dry mass content above the drum screen squeezer series. Best quality and reliance is ensured by stainless steel casing, screen and bolts as well as reinforced stainless steel screws.

The homogeneous, mostly liquid manure you obtain from your farm needs to be separated and dewatered. Your fields’ manure is ready with Limakine’s robust and durable manure separators, available in various capacities to suit your farm’s needs. With their robust construction and performance, machine separators are also used to separate various waste materials in a variety of applications.

Manure management and cow barn design

As below drawing 4 scraper for each corridors and one manure collection pit integrated to end of barn equipped with 2 pump and one mixer.