Thick slurry tanks

kevthegaff

Lads have a shed that hasn't been emptied in ten years. Basically reroffed whole shed which has 4 tanks which are 3 bay long. I added abit of water the other day bit mad no influence on it when agitating. Any recommendations

Mooooo

Last time we had thick stuff the umbilical piped water up while we mixed, wouldn't have been like your stuff but may just be a case of more water and horsepower, bar lifting slats and digging out

kevthegaff

Digger only probably reach 1 1/2

DBK1

Have you much free space left in the tank? Pig slurry breaks down the cattle slurry far better than water does if you can get any.

If you’ve space for it I’d be filling it up with pig slurry to within 10 or 12 inches of the slats, leave it a few days and come back and agitate.

Spread all you can until it gets too thick and repeat the process. If it’s there that long and very dry it may take a few attempts before getting it all agitated and moving

_Brian

Dig out whatever you can if it’s set.

add water and pigslurry to loosen up what’s left.

has it been up to back of slats for that long ??

Double three bay down the road here been up over the slats for 12-15 years,

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117869773#Comment_117869773

Ya I was not gona use them anymore but with the price of sheds! Its up on a hill

FintanMcluskey

Pig slurry as already mentioned, left for a few days

Agitate with tractor revved out fully not at 540 rpm, makes a massive difference to the agitating power

whelan2

Silage juice is good for mixing too

Why not redirect the eave shoot in to it? Youd be surprised how much rain would fall and fill it

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870001#Comment_117870001

What he mean rev it up fully?

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870218#Comment_117870218

As in rev the tractor out to the last, it's what I do when trying to break up lumps

The extra bit of prop speed on the agitator makes a huge difference

funkey_monkey

How much of a gap have you between the slurry and the slats?

Are you near a water source where you could get a small engine pump and fill/stir/spread and repeat until you make some progress? We have a engine pump which we use to lift water from nearby stream into the tank - enormous help during stirring.

Is it just a very thick crust or do you think the whole tank is solid? If the latter I'd be hesitant about revving the tractor as it would do little. Might be a job for a mini-digger.

AS you'll be well aware, watch out with the gases through - tanks that have been left a while can build up quite a bit of gasses underneath the crust.

mr.stonewall

Seen this before on Dung deal could be an option for the OP. Lump buster clever idea but have never seen it in the flesh . Could be set up with water going into the tank and then on the top fill of agitator if some of the tank was moving.

https://www.donedeal.ie/dairycattle-for-sale/lump-buster-clears-slurry-tank-blockages-fast/25731690

_Brian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870137#Comment_117870137

We do this when cattle leave shed in the spring, cuts down on drawing water. But it’s already coming into shed to fill 600g tank for drinkers so it’s just matter of splitting the pipe

_Brian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870430#Comment_117870430

If it’s just connected to a water pipe where does it get enough pressure to break up lumps ??

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870832#Comment_117870832

Looks like it's connected to a hose off of the tanker. So it would have pressure from the vacuum pump and volume from the 6inch hose. Could get some of the lumps moving. Water and pig is going to be the key moving it, but being able to use it to break up some of the lumps while its going into the tanks will really speed up the job.

GrasstoMilk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870890#Comment_117870890

Is it not connected to the top fill off the agitator?

mr.stonewall

Looks like it can be done aswell with the top fill aswell. Agitator when working is only tackling a stuck lump from one face. Being a able to get behind or shear a lump can really help to get things moving

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117870428#Comment_117870428

On that kev go away and get a gas alarm, don't want to go messing there and not know whats rising towards ya

kevthegaff

I might leave a few loads of pig slurry to the middle of the tank, and agitate then. My agitator is poor so might get the contractor in

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117871077#Comment_117871077

Definitely get whatever contractor has the biggest agitator around you. The few pound you'll give him could save you hours if not days of your own time if you only have a poor agitator. It will also reduce the amount of pig slurry/water you have to draw both in and out.

9935452

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117871077#Comment_117871077

We went to a 55000 gallon tank one day. A lot of water was taken out in the winter so was very dry.

Agitator wouldnt go down at one side. It went in at the other side as dairy washings drained in at that end.

We ended up taking out a load of slurry , adding a load of water, continouosly for the bones of 2 days.

Eventually it started breaking up.

We had 160hp on a cross agitator.

If yours is that dry,and your agitator is poor, get in a contractor to agitate and draw water to him and slurry away.

mr.stonewall

@kevthegaff any update for us on the tank. Just curious