permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] looking for someone composting hog manure
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:15:39 EST
From: Marlene Halverson <Mkhalv@AOL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Generally speaking, the advantages of composting pig manure are it is  a
natural process, takes little extra cost or technology to set up and, once the
 technique is mastered for combining manure with litter in proper C and N
proportions to start and maintain the composting process and prevent ammonia
 volatilization, there is no odor, in contrast to liquefied manure storages
and  pig pens and barns with no bedding.  Composting also kills any
pathogens  that may be present more reliably than anaerobic handling.  Piglet
mortalities can be hygienically disposed of and will decompose if buried in
compost heaps, as well (as will adult pig mortalities, although more  slowly).

If a deep-straw housing system is used, as in deep-bedded hoop structures,
manure can be collected naturally in the beds as the animals defecate and
urinate and after a week or more have gone by composting may start in the
beds.  Pigs rooting in the beds tend to mix the manure and litter,
alleviating the need to turn over the beds by hand or tractor inside the  
buildings.
Composting generally continues when the manure is removed and  stacked
outside.

As compared to liquefied manure systems, composting dramatically reduces
the volume of manure a farmer has to deal with and nutrients are slowly
released  when the compost is spread on crop land (or gardens).  Composting
reduces volume and mass of manure 40-80% according to an Ohio State report
(http://ohioline.osu.edu/b604/0005.html) and the end product can be marketed 
to
gardeners.

Using bedding and handling manure as a solid does not consume  large
amounts of water to clean buildings and store manure as does handling in
liquefied form.  Buildings can be cleaned out easily and manure can be  
stacked with
a skid steer loader.  Moreover, it is not dangerous (no  explosive gases or
manure pit fatalities from suffocation or H2S  poisoning).

Farmers who have composted pig manure inside buildings on  bedded packs,
e.g., deep litter in hoop buildings in the Midwest, have written  about the
experience here:

_http://www.p2pays.org/ref/21/20976.htm_
(http://www.p2pays.org/ref/21/20976.htm)

and  I described the system using deep straw bedding further in this
article:

_http://www.p2pays.org/ref/21/20979.htm_
(http://www.p2pays.org/ref/21/20979.htm)

However,  since heat from composting beds is not needed to keep barns and
animals warm in  the Caribbean, unlike the upper Midwest, the following links
from Hawaii  and the links from Dominican Republic sent by an earlier
responder may be  more useful for your caller (unfortunately some of the 
links on
these sites no  longer  work).

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/pigsinparadise/

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/pigsinparadise/techreferences/compostingguidelin
es.htm

_http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SustainAg/links/animal.html_
(http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SustainAg/links/animal.html)   (contains a 
number of
alternatives for handling manure)

Marlene  Halverson





In a message dated  11/4/2009 11:39:11 A.M. Central Standard Time,
cary.oshins@COMPOSTINGCOUNCIL.ORG  writes:
We received a call in the office this morning from a gentlemen  looking to
set up a small (100 sow) hog operation in the  Caribbean, and  would like to
compost the manure as a value added product. He has plenty of  hog expertise
but none in composting. He would like to talk with and  hopefully visit
someone who is composting hog manure (it will not be a liquid  manure
system).  Any leads I can pass on to him will be appreciated. He  lives in
Northwest Ohio, but is willing to go anywhere. Referrals to more  southern
states would be especially  welcome.

Thanks,

Cary





____________________________________
Cary  Oshins | Assistant Director of Programs
US Composting Council | 1 Comac Loop,  Suite 14B1 | Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
phone: 631-737-4931 | cell: 484-547-1521 |  fax: 631-737-4939 |
<mailto:stu.buckner@compostingcouncil.org>
cary.oshins@compostingcouncil.org


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