Manure Treatment

Manure treatment is used to reduce mass, control pathogens, concentrate or reduce nutrients, or produce byproducts such as bedding or energy.
Options of manure treatment are:

  • Composting
  • Solid-Liquid separation
  • Anaerobic digestion
  • Nutrient partitioning

Composting

Composting can produce an environmentally stable soil amendment using oxygen-consuming bacteria and fungi. Good management of the following four elements will produce compost with significant pathogen kill and a benign product that may be sold.

  • Carbon: Nitrogen ratio
  • Moisture content
  • Aeration
  • Time

Solid-liquid separation of manure

The system of solid-liquid separation processes slurry manure to be divided into a material that can be handled as a solid and effluent material that can be handled as a liquid. The system removes the larger particulates from the liquid. There are three types of solid-liquid separation systems: Sedimentation, Bar Screen, and Mechanical Separation. The most common form of solid-liquid separation for dairy manure in the northeast is the mechanical screw press separator. Farms may utilize this manure treatment system for ease of pumping, nutrient partition, volume reduction, or to reclaim the solid components as cattle stall bedding.