Manure Management
What is it?
Manure management is implementing a set of BMPs to control ranch or farm manure buildup and therefore limiting the amount of manure that is washed into wetlands and streams.
Conservation Benefits
- Limits the amount of nutrients entering streams from manure
- Protects stream water quality
What does it include?
Site and livestock assessment: this assessment will determine how much manure can be incorporated into the property and possible containment or uses for excess manure
Pasture management and grazing systems
Manure containment: includes many different techniques for preventing manure from leaving the property including storage structures, composting areas, tilling manure into crop or pature lands for nutrients, and covering open piles of manure to prevent erosion from rain.
Export of extra manure: manure can be exported to other farms, ranches, vineyards, urban gardens, etc. for use as needed soil nutrient additions.
Manure Management Links
- Agricultural Stormwater Pollution Solutions: store and apply manure away from water bodies and in accordance with nutrient management plan (AgriLife Extension)
- Animal waste collection (NRCS)
- Animal waste controls BMP
- Animal waste management systems (p15; Chesapeake Bay Program)
- BMP for Horse Pastures, Paddocks, and Stables (Boxford, MA)
- Manure Management for small and hobby farms (Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.)
Manure Management Bibliography
- Eghball and Power. 1994. Beef cattle feedlot manure management. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 49: 113-122.
- Moore et al. 1995. Poultry manure management: environmentally sound options. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 50: 321-327.
- Nowak et al. 1998. Farmers and manure management: a critical analysis in Animal Waste Utilization: effective use of manure as a soil resource. pp 1-32.