Dr. Ted Funk - Solid Solutions For Your Pit

Solid Solutions for Your Pit Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health

Ted Funk, PhD, PE

Funktioneering.com

Introduction

What’s a “deep” pit and why should I care?

What could possibly go wrong?

How can I make my pits work better?

How can I maintain biosecurity for my buildings with pits?

How can I maximize the fertilizer benefits from my pits?

Some new pit construction booboos

A “deep pit” is:

A container for a liquid that must be regarded as a potential pollutant

A reservoir that allows for timely placement of nutrients on cropland

A conservation component that preserves the quality and quantity of manure nutrients for use by crops

A structure that acts as a foundation for building floors and walls

A component of a building’s ventilation system

“Timely” placement? Who’s asking?

Conserving nutrients…?

Foundation for…what?

Photo credit: Illinois Department of Agriculture

Beam

Slat

Beam ledge failure

Slat end cracks

Flaking or spalling

Cracks exposing reinforcing steel

Slats showing their age? Not like diamonds…they don’t last forever.

Pit ventilation?—I’ll get back to you on that…

The bigger the reservoir, the bigger the problem, if….

Sure, this is a dairy, but the issues apply to us all.

Priorities in pit management

• Protect animals and workers from toxic gases, maintain good atmosphere in building

Safety & indoor air quality

• Inspect pits, monitor levels, manage capacity

Environmental protection

• 4 R’s of nutrient management: Right type, right amount, right time, right placement

Best use of nutrients

Safety issues

Good ventilation of deep pits

Agitation and gas emissions

Foaming pits

Pit ventilation: How good is it?

Practical limits to fan “reach”—15 feet?

Structure limits on fan placement

Ventilation stages may limit number of fans running

Variable speed fans are REALLY variable…and unpredictable

Underfloor ducts—impractical?

…bottom line: pit ventilation is not really that efficient. Put in plenty.

Pit ventilation—the critical times

•Small pigs, cold weather

Low contribution to whole vent rate

•Near time to pump out pit

Manure level high, close to floor

•Pit agitation prior to, during pumping

•Also possible when there is deep foam present

Very high concentrations of toxic and/or combustible gases

Death by pit gas: We study and study, but still lose animals every year….

Zhao et al., 2005. Ventilating Confined Manure Storages: Progress Report, ASABE Paper No. 055019.

Agitation and Pumping

Keep people out of building

Ignition sources off

Gas supply turned off

Ventilate properly

Fans on 20-30 cfm/pig

Curtains closed if wind not blowing

Ceiling inlets open

Pumpouts sealed

Mixing fans if available

No agitation . . . if possible

No agitation until manure is 2’ below slats

If possible, agitate intermittently

No rooster tailing

Foaming pits—an old problem, and a whole ‘nuther topic

Foam contains biogas. Go ahead—try this at home!

…so where’s your pit ventilation now?

Tough luck, poor planning, whatever…. The pit’s full, and it’s August. What’s your plan?

Biosecurity measures

Well, we thought we were pretty good at biosecurity. Then PEDV….

Biosecurity—general information

Biosecurity Guide for Pork Producers

National Pork Board website

Details: Manure pit pumpout port. Management during manure removal? Sealed lid, liquid trap panel at wall

Manure samples info

Best sampling done during land application

Stratification of solids, nutrients: why not sample the pit without agitating it?

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0

Phosphorus as P2O5, lb/1000

gal

bottom

middle

top

Pit level monitoring and management

Water management—see NPB study “Water Consumption and Conservation Techniques Currently Available for Swine Production”, NPB #09-128

80% of the water used in a building is drinking water, so–

Use good drinkers

Stop the leaks

Save big $$ on manure spreading costs

Pit level monitoring and management

Electronic liquid level—what are you using?

Mechanical liquid level

Weekly level monitoring required by regulation (US EPA)—how are you doing that?

Water meters and what they can do for you

Recordkeeping

Water metering—not just for noting leaks

Decreased intake: Onset of disease in the building?

Insufficient intake with large pigs, hot weather: Indications of plumbing restrictions?

Photo: www.edcheung.com

Why ASSUME you have room in the pit?

Check water meters daily and log the readings

Measure manure depth in pit weekly, and record

AFTER pumpdown, check for solids & unrecoverable liquids remaining

Tools for updating and managing your NMP

Smart phone apps?

UMO nutrient management software and MMP extensions

Manure nutrient economics: Valuing liquid manure

Fertilizer component replacement?

Target field fertility requirements—don’t count $$ for something that is not needed

Use realistic haul & apply cost credits

http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G9330

Pit additives? Claims:

Reduce manure odor

Reduce manure toxic gases

Manage solids and crust

Retain nutrients and make more plant available

Show me.

New construction

What can go wrong with pouring a pit?

Construction—see Illinois Dept of Ag examples

Perimeter tiles

Wall penetrations

Water stops

Concrete mix and placement quality control—choose your contractor carefully


Honeycombing

Prevent by vibrating or rodding during placement

Use proper mix


Waterstop “Blowout”

Exposed Waterstop


Improper installation:Expandable waterstops placed in standing water


Pouring in the rain – Standing Water. They’ll probably get to do this one over.


Debris in a poured wall—Guess who gets to dig this one out!

2x4


Cold Weather / Snow

Plan for conditions

Proper Mix

Protect Pour

Blankets

Leave Forms

Speed up the curing process


Floor Caps—If at first you don’t succeed….


Perimeter Drainage Tubing—required in some situations


Perimeter Drainage Tubing

Sampling port


Floor cracked by heavy equipment. “Secure” liquid container?


Penetration by water pipe. Don’t look now, but that grout is going to disappear, and then…so is the manure!


Proper Backfill—one of the required details, sign of a good contractor


But enough about construction. Back to managing what you have:

Summary—your priorities for deep pit management

• Protect animals and workers from toxic gases, maintain good atmosphere in building

Safety & indoor air quality

• Inspect pits, monitor levels, manage capacity

Environmental protection

• 4 R’s of nutrient management: Right type, right amount, right time, right placement

Best use of nutrients

Last words

Be safe

Track freeboard

Have a contingency plan for land application

Take credit for nutrients

Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health

Business

Dr. Ted Funk - Solid Solutions For Your Pit