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Agitating slurry, how many bays?

  • 30-11-2020 8:35pm
    #1
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭


    How many bays can you agitate from one end only? Would 4 be a push? Was just chatting with a buddy earlier snd we didn’t know. All these big new 8 and10 bay sheds got us wondering. Would there be two and in a line is is it with an agitating point at each end of shed?


Comments

  • #2
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,202 ✭✭✭tanko


    farawaygrass wrote: »
    How many bays can you agitate from one end only? Would 4 be a push? Was just chatting with a buddy earlier snd we didn’t know. All these big new 8 and10 bay sheds got us wondering. Would there be two and in a line is is it with an agitating point at each end of shed?

    It all depends what's in the tank and what kind of horse power and agitator you've got. If it's watery stuff you'd spin 4 bays but maybe only 2 1/2 bays if it's thick stuff.


  • #3
    Gillespy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,210 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    farawaygrass wrote: »
    How many bays can you agitate from one end only? Would 4 be a push? Was just chatting with a buddy earlier snd we didn’t know. All these big new 8 and10 bay sheds got us wondering. Would there be two and in a line is is it with an agitating point at each end of shed?

    Five easily in good slurry from one end. All depends on how thick it is. Barely two bays if it's too thick and it only flops out of the agitator. It's one of the only times where extra horsepower doesn't help you either. Adding water the only way.


  • #4
    wrangler
    Registered Users Posts: 11,047 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    Gillespy wrote: »
    Five easily in good slurry from one end. All depends on how thick it is. Barely two bays if it's too thick and it only flops out of the agitator. It's one of the only times where extra horsepower doesn't help you either. Adding water the only way.

    When I was building, the grant requirement was no more than 3 bays in a tank, and it was often difficult enough, especially with dry silage


  • #5
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,468 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    farawaygrass wrote: »
    How many bays can you agitate from one end only? Would 4 be a push? Was just chatting with a buddy earlier snd we didn’t know. All these big new 8 and10 bay sheds got us wondering. Would there be two and in a line is is it with an agitating point at each end of shed?

    We can do 3 bays with our 1970’s DB996, pain in the hole because there’s beams across the tank at each bay. Tank is more than 40years old at this stage.


  • #6
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    tanko wrote: »
    It all depends what's in the tank and what kind of horse power and agitator you've got. If it's watery stuff you'd spin 4 bays but maybe only 2 1/2 bays if it's thick stuff.

    3 Bay is tough going here at times with sucklers on baled silage.
    Does need water added every time.
    Another opening at other end would've been very useful. If only for sucking up slurry when some lumps would go to one end.


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  • #7
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    How are lads managing with big long tanks then? Or is there a wall in the middle-so instead of 6 bays it would be two 3 bay tanks?


  • #8
    Wildsurfer
    Registered Users Posts: 1,380 ✭✭✭Wildsurfer


    farawaygrass wrote: »
    How are lads managing with big long tanks then? Or is there a wall in the middle-so instead of 6 bays it would be two 3 bay tanks?

    I have a 140' tank with agitation points at both ends and contractor has no problem getting it mixed but you wouldn't want to be sucking any water out of it! Power of new big agitators though. An option if you can't put agitation point at one end is to put in a 6" wavin pipe and return it under ground and back into tank at far end.


  • #9
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,615 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    We have one tank taking effluent off a silage pit 3 bays long and it's only got 1 agitation point. I wouldn't like to be going any longer with 1 point.

    Another tank is 4 bays long and has 2 agitation points. What I find a big help agitating slurry is a 10m 4'' hose on the vac tank, move it around on top of the slats to where the edge of the crust is and drop agitated slurry on top of the crust.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #10
    Jb1989
    Registered Users Posts: 2,417 ✭✭✭Jb1989


    Would a quick mix once a month say, be easier than a long mix at the end of the season.


  • #11
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Some have aeration systems, which must stay running as the idea is they stop a crust from forming as opposed to break a crust up. It's either water or time or both otherwise


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  • #12
    Gillespy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,210 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    Jb1989 wrote: »
    Would a quick mix once a month say, be easier than a long mix at the end of the season.

    In outdoor tanks, it defiantly stop weeds growing and that's a big help. I'm not sure in slats. It doesn't take long for the crust to form back again. I have wondered about the crust breaking down like dung does as I have found old tanks easier before. Agitating for first cut is harder than it is in October I find.


  • #13
    tanko
    Registered Users Posts: 9,202 ✭✭✭tanko


    Jb1989 wrote: »
    3 Bay is tough going here at times with sucklers on baled silage.
    Does need water added every time.
    Another opening at other end would've been very useful. If only for sucking up slurry when some lumps would go to one end.

    I have a four bay here that can only be agitated from the middle of the end bay.
    It's usually full after the 6/7 month winter here. I try and mix two bays and spread those to get the tank down 3/4 feet, then add three feet of water and mix again. Usually i'd get the whole tank mixed then and spread.

    Mixing the tank when it's half full in January would be a good help i suppose but i've never done this. The ideal thing to do would be to put two feet of water into the tank before the cattle in but you'd need a 4/5 month winter to do that.
    What are your barriers like, if they're too low or the cattle can pull silage in under them then silage can end up in the tank and form lumps.


  • #14
    Gillespy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,210 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    Full set of knives in the baler would stop all problems of bales and slats. Can't pull it in if it's chopped like out of wagon.


  • #15
    49801
    Registered Users Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭49801


    Think I saw somewhere for big tanks ppl putting in a pipe to connect to agitator pump. To send slurry further up the tank and get it moving toward the pump.


  • #16
    westlander
    Registered Users Posts: 283 ✭✭westlander


    6 bays here. Agitation point at each end. Even with pig **** drawn into it find it takes a while to get 3 bays moving and that is with an nc3000 super. Think a bigger agitator would definitely help.


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