The 4-foot deep composting bedded pack can provide 9 to 12 months of manure storage based on 80 square feet of pack area per 1,400 pound cow. Most compost dairy barn operators in Minnesota remove between 1/3 to 1/2 of the accumulated pack in the spring of the year and land apply it to crop land according to their nutrient management plan. In the fall, shortly after silage harvest, compost dairy barn operators empty the accumulated composting bedded pack and land apply it to crop land according to their nutrient management plan. It is recommended that the pack be restarted in early fall to allow for some pack accumulation and biological activity to begin before cold weather arrives.
Author: Kevin Janni,
Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
University of Minnesota
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How many months of manure storage are provided by the 4-foot deep bedded pack?
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