Yard/slurry upgrade

JohnBoy

Been doing a lot of long term planning and musing in the yard recently.

(back story, our farm had been 100% leased for the last 10 years, had been a dairy farm before that, yards built in the 70s and would have been due for some investment in the noughties, but that never happened as my FIL passed away and the farm was leased)

We dont currently have cattle as we live 60 miles away, but as soon as the house sells (eventually, hopefully, before we retire like) we will move to the farm and get cattle. As soon as we get cattle we'll be in breach of the nitrates directive. We have a lot of concrete which currently drains into a large, shallow open slurry store.

Based on 16 weeks storage we need the following storage capacities for rainwater for the areas in the pic attached from back when the place was leased out.

Open silage area: 222m3
Open pit: 229m3
Yard1: 110m3
Yard2: 118m3
Passage: 114m3
Total: 793m3

The open slurry pit is relatively shallow, averages 5 feet deep, so 1.2m after freeboard, giving 464m3 of storage.
current position: -329m3

the two long sheds either side of the open silage pit are 50/50 cubicles and open. the long round roof below the passage is the milking parlour. the round roof below yard2 is a three span covered silage pit, the leanto is 50/50 cubicles and calf pens.

So we've no shortage of housing, but the minute we let a sucky calf into the current setup we're in breach of nitrates, and the current tank would also need to be replaced as it has a few cracks and the concrete is too soft in my opinion to justify starting into repairs as we'll still be left with a compromise in the end.

The site is also quite sloping, so the pit is in its natural location.

I'm open to suggestions as to what we should do, both short and medium term, and I'll tell you my current thinking.

1 - Put in a new tank in place of the open pit. lets say 6 span 15.5 foot tank. That would reduce storage by 124m3 but reduce the need for rainwater storage by 149m3 New Position: -304m3

2 - Dont use the outdoor silage pit. fence it off and dont use the yard related to it for cattle or the far over cubicle house thus removing the whole "open silage" section from the map New Position: -82m3

3 - put in a divertable shore for the passage area and doesnt need to be allowed for anymore (there's a pipe there only need to tap into it for clean water New Position: +36m3

So, at this stage we have a small amount of actual slurry storage, 2 cubicle houses, a calf house and an open house, plus a roofed three span silage pit. As a starting point that's not bad, for a relatively small investment in concrete for the tank. the one thing not in my maths is the silage effluent. Anyone know how do I calculate my requirements there?

36m3 is enough for 15 yearlings or 8.5 18month+ cattle

At this stage I've two options. start converting the tank into a slatted shed, or start roofing yard space to reduce rainwater requirements.

Lets say I put slats on top of the tank, and then sheet the slats in silage plastic, I gain another 80m3 by eliminating that rainfall Not the prettiest maybe, but effective nonetheless.
New Position: +116m3

That's now enough for 48 yearlings or 27 18month+ cattle which is a herd that would take time to build up to. and will also be pushing my housing within yards 1 and 2 close to their limits I'd imagine (definitely 48 yearlings would be a no-go)


After that I dont see any easy or quick wins. I could gain more housing by roofing and penning the slats, but then do I need more silage storage, bringing me back to needing to roof the open silage pit, or make the tank bigger.


I'm not entirely sure what I'm asking for here, some opinions really. I want whatever investment we make to be as long term as possible, while costing as little as possible obviously

I think the slattable tank meets this requirement quite well, and I've no problem putting in a tank capable of having a shed build on top of it, but I'm wondering is it the best approach to take.


thoughts folks are always appreciated. Long term planning suggests this job is moving from being pie in the sky to possibly happening next year.

J DEERE

How many acres have you with the yard? Have you got sheds with straw bedding?

JohnBoy

J DEERE wrote: »

How many acres have you with the yard? Have you got sheds with straw bedding?

we will have sixty. Have three spans of lean to that can be bedded, plus seven lean to spans of cubicles. The roofed silage pit could be bedded but then we've to deal with the rain from the silage slab

J DEERE

JohnBoy wrote: »

we will have sixty. Have three spans of lean to that can be bedded, plus seven lean to spans of cubicles. The roofed silage pit could be bedded but then we've to deal with the rain from the silage slab

Start off with the bedded accommodation to begin with until you get a few years of cattle sales behind you. I wouldn't be inclined to invest in a big set up until you know what suits you best. Use the three span lean to and the roofed silage pit, I'd say you could keep 40 in the two sheds. You could also bed the passage ways of the cubicles to start, be grand for weanlings and they would lie in the cubicles too. Make bales and no worry about run off

JohnBoy

J DEERE wrote: »

Start off with the bedded accommodation to begin with until you get a few years of cattle sales behind you. I wouldn't be inclined to invest in a big set up until you know what suits you best. Use the three span lean to and the roofed silage pit, I'd say you could keep 40 in the two sheds. You could also bed the passage ways of the cubicles to start, be grand for weanlings and they would lie in the cubicles too. Make bales and no worry about run off

but what about dirty water storage?
i thought under nitrates you have to have 10 days dirty water storage, plus dung storage

existing tank wouldn't pass an inspection if we had cattle :

st1979

JohnBoy wrote: »

but what about dirty water storage?
i thought under nitrates you have to have 10 days dirty water storage, plus dung storage

existing tank wouldn't pass an inspection if we had cattle :

If there is no seepage you dont need a tank. You can store dung in the field from 15 january. Or store it in a shed or just deep bed till january.
Don't get too hung up on nitrates till you are up and running. Otherwise stop now. Cause you can't afford it.
Could you deepen your tank by adding onto your existing dungpit walls if they are leak proof. And maybe scrape up a ramp into tank.

JohnBoy

st1979 wrote: »

If there is no seepage you dont need a tank. You can store dung in the field from 15 january. Or store it in a shed or just deep bed till january.
Don't get too hung up on nitrates till you are up and running. Otherwise stop now. Cause you can't afford it.
Could you deepen your tank by adding onto your existing dungpit walls if they are leak proof. And maybe scrape up a ramp into tank.

Right now, while we don't have cattle we are investing into the land and the facilities so when the time does come we'll be able to focus all our energies on the livestock, and not be looking over our shoulders in case the department or the county council want to come for a visit.

The existing tank could be deepened, but it's got cracks in it, it's 30 years old, the concrete isnt as hard as it could be anymore, it was a home built tank day one. It's done well to go for as long as it has, but if we had cattle, and hence slurry in it, we wouldnt pass an inspection. the tank needs to be replaced in some form or another.

the beauty of deepening is it's not a case of digging deeper, just building higher walls on the next tank as the slope of the site means the floor of the current tank is 8-9 feet below the yard.

Injuryprone

It sounds like you're going to be keeping dry stock. If this is the case, I don't see the open pit as being the most suitable. With that you'll be stuck scraping out sheds every day, not great for a part timer.

We had a yard similar to that before nitrates, in that we had big areas of open yard. Tbh you've got to forget about open yards if you want to comply with nitrates and still have some money left.

In theory you could be compliant as you stand if you go down the dry bedded route, although I'm not sure whether or not you need a dung stead even if you don't use it.

If you keep all cattle 100% under roof, allow the straw bed to build up until the 15 January, after that, if needs be, you can clean it out and heap it anywhere you want (just not near a river!)

As already advised, make all your silage in bales and store wherever suits best. With bales you don't need to catch any water.

You can run the cattle across the yards into the sheds, just clean off any dungs after and it can rain away all it likes then.

If I was in your shoes this is what I'd do. Keep costs down and save all your money for those expensive cattle!!

49801

Injuryprone wrote: »

It sounds like you're going to be keeping dry stock. If this is the case, I don't see the open pit as being the most suitable. With that you'll be stuck scraping out sheds every day, not great for a part timer.

We had a yard similar to that before nitrates, in that we had big areas of open yard. Tbh you've got to forget about open yards if you want to comply with nitrates and still have some money left.

In theory you could be compliant as you stand if you go down the dry bedded route, although I'm not sure whether or not you need a dung stead even if you don't use it.

If you keep all cattle 100% under roof, allow the straw bed to build up until the 15 January, after that, if needs be, you can clean it out and heap it anywhere you want (just not near a river!)

As already advised, make all your silage in bales and store wherever suits best. With bales you don't need to catch any water.

You can run the cattle across the yards into the sheds, just clean off any dungs after and it can rain away all it likes then.

If I was in your shoes this is what I'd do. Keep costs down and save all your money for those expensive cattle!!

Sensible post!