Yesterday, the second of our two Slurrystores was emptied. First, a Slurrystore is a glass lined steel container that holds our cow manure. We have manure from approximately 1000 cows being pumped into the two Slurrystores. An average cow produces 70 pounds of manure a day. That’s a whole lot of poop. Well, it has to go somewhere. We believe storing the manure in the Slurrystore is the best and safest way. Manure spreaders are pulled with tractors and the manure is spread on fields as fertilizer. Rate of application is dependent upon present nutrients in the soil. We take soil samples for analysis to determine levels. We have neighboring farmers who also use the manure.
Manure is not just a waste product but a valuable source of nutrients. The cost of commercial fertilizer is becoming so great that using manure instead of commercial fertilizer is much more economical. Some call the manure “liquid gold”. Crop farmers or farmers without livestock are also requesting to use the manure to fertilize their land.
Our challenge is to be able to store the manure produced during the winter months. We are sitting pretty good right now.
The Slurrystore that was emptied yesterday measures 120 feet in diameter by 28 feet high. It holds 2,377,700 gallons of manure. The last time we had it empty was in July. We spread it on wheat stubble, which is what is left after the wheat had been harvested. We also have a second Slurrystore which measures 101 feet in diameter and 24 feet high holding 1,666,500 gallons of manure.
So when you have septic tank issues, be glad you’re not housing cattle.
