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He Uses Cheese WheyTo Control Odor In Lagoons
"Until sound science proves them effective, I don't plan to use any commercial odor control product," says David Roper, a Kimberly, Idaho, pork producer who's experimenting with what he believes is a promising odor controller. The best thing is, he gets it for the asking right in his own backyard.
"We're using lo
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He Uses Cheese WheyTo Control Odor In Lagoons MANURE HANDLING Miscellaneous 21-5-28 "Until sound science proves them effective, I don't plan to use any commercial odor control product," says David Roper, a Kimberly, Idaho, pork producer who's experimenting with what he believes is a promising odor controller. The best thing is, he gets it for the asking right in his own backyard.
"We're using low solid content whey that we get from area cheese processing plants," says Roper, who has a 140-sow farrow-to-finish operation and a 1.5 million gal. lagoon. "Introducing low pH level whey into the lagoon keeps the ammonia in the manure from volatilizing, which is what smells and irritates the eyes and nose. The decrease in pH level increases the solubility of ammonia. Plus, whey introduces beneficial microbial æbugs', which help break down solids faster."
But Roper admits the system has a few problems.
"For example, if you add too much whey, you could end up with an odor other than the ammonia odor you're trying to control," he notes.
A soil scientist with USDA's Agricultural Research Service at Kimberly agrees."Whey helps control ammonia volatilization," says Chuck Robbins. "But you're still left with other volatile components which are also odor producing."
Nevertheless, Roper is certain he's on to something.
"It changes the odor significantly for the better," he insists.
For a lagoon his size, Roper says the solution is to add 3,000 to 6,000 gals. of wash water whey a week, which is composed of less than 6 percent solids.
He and his brother-in-law Reed Gibby haul it in 5,000 to 6,000 gal. tanker truck loads from four area cheese processing plants. They also feed high solid content whey to their hogs and sell whey to other pork and dairy producers for feed and la-goon treatment as well.
High solid whey concentrate (up to 60 percent) for feed sells for up to $40 per ton delivered. Whey containing less than 6 per-cent solids for lagoon treatment sells for the price of delivery.
Where whey isn't readily available, any low pH, high acid by-product of industry could be used in its place, Roper says.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, David Roper, 3245 N 3600 E, Kimberly, Idaho 83441 (ph 208 423-4541; fax 5211).
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