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Dry Litter Best Management Practices BMPs Ron Sheffield Biological and Agricultural Engineering NC State University

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Dry Litter Best Management Practices BMPs Ron Sheffield Biological and Agricultural Engineering NC State University

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    1. Dry Litter Best Management Practices (BMPs) Ron Sheffield Biological and Agricultural Engineering NC State University

    2. Waste Handling BMPs Dry Stack Storage Structures Ammonia Control Products Litter as Cattle Feed Composting Mortality Composting

    3. Field BMPs Buffers Calibration of Manure Spreaders Field Borders Riparian Buffer Zones Insect and Odor Control

    4. Dry Litter Storage Structures Environmentally safe storage of litter Allows for proper timing of litter application to crops Stabilizes litter for pathogen and insect control

    5. Types of Dry Stack Storage Structures Permanent Roofed Structures 12ft. high ceilings (or greater) Concrete block side walls If wooden side walls are used, DO NOT stack litter higher than 4-5 feet to avoid spontaneous combustion Stack litter 6-8 feet high Pack with heavy-wheeled vehicle as material is packed Facility located 100 feet away from a perennial stream

    6. Types of Dry Stack Storage Structures Temporary Covered Stockpiles Windrows or bunkers Concrete or clay base with a well-drained grassed covered area around the stack Stack litter 6-8 feet high Pack with heavy-wheeled vehicle as material is packed Cover with heavy (6 mil) plastic Back fill 1 foot of soil around the edges of the cover Lay old tires over plastic

    7. Ammonia Control Products Commercial products have been marketed that advertise their ability to either reduce or control odors. These materials include: masking agents chemicals that can temporally bind ammonia Chemical that inhibit urease production chemical that neutralize odor chemical that stimulate bacterial growth preparations that contain “special” strains of bacteria

    8. Litter as Cattle Feed Litter is a economical and safe source of protein, minerals and energy for cattle Protein supplement (30% Crude Protein): 4 lbs of litter for brood cows will save producer $20 for supplement over 100 days Hay substitute 12 lbs/head each day will save the producer $20 - $50 per head over a 100 day feeding period. “Feeding Poultry Litter To Beef Cattle”, AG-515-1

    9. Composting Composting biologically stabilizes organic manure into a humus-like material The final composted product has less odor and breeds less flies than raw manure Before initiating a composting operation, the supply of raw material and demand for the finished product must be reliably established

    10. Mortality Composting Safe method for managing normal mortality Whole turkeys and chickens can be processed in a few weeks Biosecure process due to high temperatures Compost product is a valuable fertilizer for row crops Mortality composters require permits from NCDA State Veterinarian Composting Poultry Mortality, PS&T #47

    11. Field BMPs Buffers 100 feet buffer from litter stockpiles to perennial streams 25 feet buffer from litter application areas and perennial streams Litter cannot be applied to buffer areas Perennial streams are shown as blue lines on USGS 1:24,000 scale topographic maps (contact local SWCD)

    12. Calibration of Manure Spreaders Calibration of manure spreaders ensures the proper application of animal wastes Only by knowing the application rate of your spreader can you properly provide a crop with appropriate amount of manure while protecting water quality Calibration defines the combination of settings and travel speed to apply manure at a desired rate and ensure uniform application

    13. Calculating Spreader Load Weigh and empty 5-gallon bucket. Fill the bucket level full with litter. Weigh the bucket again. Subtract the empty bucket weight from the empty bucket weight to calculate the weight of the contents. Multiply by 1.5 to calculate pounds per cubic feet (density). Multiply the manure density by the cubic foot capacity of spreader (see equip. manual) then divide by 2000 to calculate the tons of litter per spreader load .

    14. Spreader Calibration Materials required: Bucket Plastic sheet, tarp or old bed sheet. Even sizes of 10’x10’, 12’x12’ or 10”x12’ will make calculation easier Scales

    15. Spreader Calibration Locate large, reasonably smooth flat area. Weigh the empty bucket and plastic sheet, tarp or bed sheet. Spread sheet, tarp or bed sheet smoothly and evenly on the ground. Fill spreader with litter to the normal operating level. Drive spreader at normal application speed over sheet.

    16. Spreader Calibration Collect all manure spread on the sheet and place it in the bucket Weigh bucket and manure and subtract from the dry weight. This will give you the weight of manure applied to the sheet. Repeat three (3) times and calculate the average weight from the three applications Application Rate (tons/acre) = weight manure (lbs) x 21.78 sheet length(ft) x width (ft)

    17. Spreader Calibration Application Rate (tons/acre) = spreader load (tons) x 495 time(min) x width(ft) x travel speed(mph) Travel Speed (mph) = spreader load (tons) x 495 time(min) x width(ft) x application rate (tons/acre)

    18. Field Borders Strips of perennial vegetation on the edge of fields Herbaceous vegetation or shrubs BMP to reduce erosion Anchoring point for contour rows, terraces, diversions or contour strips Sediment and related pollutants are held in border

    19. Riparian Buffer Zones Streamside forests are highly productive and diverse systems which provide many benefits Benefits include: Sediment trapping Pollutant treatment (biological process and plant uptake) Wildlife corridors Stream shading for fishery enhancement

    20. Odor Control Likely the number one community issue People assume there is an environmental problem associated with smell they find offensive Decomposing organic material (i.e., manure and feed) is the most obvious source of odor on the farm Odor is the result of ration, metabolism, and environmental conditions where manure is spread and stored Refer to Odor Control Checklist

    21. Insect Control Flies breed in dirt, moist soil and partly decomposed organic material. Fly numbers can increase rapidly unless they are controlled Can be controlled through management or chemicals

    22. Insect Control: Waste Management Limit availability of organic material to female fly and larvae Areas of concern: split feed around bins decaying feed around mills litter stockpile areas litter loading areas mortality compost bins mortality disposal areas

    23. Insect Control: Chemical Control Control of adult flies Knock down sprays, residual sprays or baits. Chemical control should only be used in conjunction with proper waste management techniques Fly control on a farm is best done by cleaning and housekeeping The need for insecticides is an indication of poor manure and feed management

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