Dried Manure Bedding Improves Herd Health, Saves Money

Dried Manure Bedding Improves Herd Health Saves Money DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS “We’ve been happier with it than we thought we’d be ” says Paul Huneke of the Doda manure separator that he uses to recycle cattle manure into bedding for his family’s dairy herd “We have fewer treated cows and the somatic cell count lowered ” High somatic cell count issues using sawdust bedding was one reason Huneke and his two sons became interested in using waste for bedding In addition to improved herd health the system saves money buying sawdust and labor hauling out two big loads of sawdust every month There’s also less waste going into the lagoon The Hunekes had a pipe going to the lagoon from the barn on their Goodhue Minn farm They intercepted the pipe and installed a 12 000-gal tank that feeds the Doda manure separator The separator squeezes out the liquids and blows the solids resembling haylage and smelling like forage into a stacking room “The separator runs about 3 hrs a day and shuts down on a timer ” Huneke says Instead of letting it heat and compost the Hunekes use the material about 65 percent moisture within two or three days spreading it with a skidsteer in the freestall barn daily The material not used for bedding is hauled to fields with a box spreader The only additional labor is cleaning the separator every 150 hrs Screens are removed powerwashed and bolted back on in about 45 min Huneke says he thinks there are fewer somatic cell count issues because the material doesn’t stick to the cows’ teats like sawdust does and the cows are in their own natural environment Demand for sawdust has grown so wood comes from varied sources that may include treated wood and wood with unknown pathogens With a loan Huneke says his bill is $700 less each month compared to when he purchased sawdust He estimates a 5-year payback on the cost for his 250-head herd and notes larger dairies would have a faster payback “We’ve been using this separator since January with no major problems ” Huneke says “It didn’t add any labor and will save us labor on manure handling Our manure hauling should be reduced by about 15 percent ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Paul Huneke 25409 Co 16 Blvd Goodhue Minn 55027 ph 651 380-9205; ph4937@sleepyeyetel net

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