Released April 24, 2008
MANHATTAN, Kan. - The expression "spring cleaning" conjures images of spotless households, but it can apply to cattle operations, too.
Spring is a good time for producers to clean feedlots or areas of manure accumulation, once cattle are removed for summer grazing, said Kansas State University´s Joel DeRouchey.
If not properly cleaned and maintained, confined feeding pens and temporary feeding sites for wintering cows or winter-backgrounding calves are prime contributors to odor emissions, said DeRouchey, who is an animal scientist with K-State Research and Extension.
In addition, fly production from those sites is much greater when manure and wasted feed are present. This, in turn, creates a nuisance and the potential for reduced animal performance for the remainder of the summer.
More tips on livestock production are available on K-State´s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry Web site, http://www.asi.ksu.edu.
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http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/
Contact: Mary Lou Peter-Blecha, mlpeter@ksu.edu
