Manure Crib

[horsinaround]

I am looking for those that have more experience than me with a manure crib. I need to improve what we do with our manure.

Currently, we muck 12 - 18 stalls, then take it outside the barn, dump it in a designated area and then every six months or so, get rid of it, either by putting it into someones truck that wants it or spreading it. It is always a mess.

I would like to have a concrete slab, with two sides and a back, and drains to let any liquid out. I was thinking of getting the poured wall foundation guys to build something, but that is pretty costly. It doesn't take that long to form up, but you end up paying minimum charges. One one day for the crew to form it up and pour it, one day to strip it, and one day for the floor.

It needs to have a concrete floor, so it doesn't turn into a major mud hole. It also needs to have three walls, to contain the manure.

Any ideas on a cost effective way to do it?

 

[Ken]

I am looking for those that have more experience than me with a manure crib. I need to improve what we do with our manure.

Currently, we muck 12 - 18 stalls, then take it outside the barn, dump it in a designated area and then every six months or so, get rid of it, either by putting it into someones truck that wants it or spreading it. It is always a mess.

I would like to have a concrete slab, with two sides and a back, and drains to let any liquid out. I was thinking of getting the poured wall foundation guys to build something, but that is pretty costly. It doesn't take that long to form up, but you end up paying minimum charges. One one day for the crew to form it up and pour it, one day to strip it, and one day for the floor.

It needs to have a concrete floor, so it doesn't turn into a major mud hole. It also needs to have three walls, to contain the manure.

Any ideas on a cost effective way to do it?

How long would a shipping container last? Built tough and mostly water proof with doors on end to remove the animal produce.
ken

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Horsinaround,

When I visited Mt Vernon "George Washington's home" he had the most cool composter for manure. I am planning to build one myself.

He took advantage of a level change on his property. He did a cut into the side of a hill on top you throw the manure in, and on the bottom (and the other side) you pull composted material out.

It had a roof and sides with some of it just being the natural dirt I believe, and an opening at the top on one side, and bottom on the other. I thought it was awesome.

Just my :2cents:
Be Well!
David

 

[DJ54]

Here are a couple pictures of one I made. One in the construction phase, and one, in the finished stage. I too got tired of wallering in the mud, once into the pile.

I made mine two sided, so as to make a 1/4 turn with the Bobcat, and go to the spreader. I clean 4 stalls, and this will hold 6 months worth, even with the straw. Overtime, the rain will "melt" the pile down, and I restack every now and then with the Bobcat. I have a 100 acre field directly across the road, that the farmer is more than glad to let me spread there, and build humus up in those old clay knobs.

It doesn't say where you are from, but most State University Agricultural sites have plans for these. I got mine from the Ohio State University site, although theirs shows a 3 sided one like you want.

Probably easiest to go through your County Extension Agent, in your local area. Manure management is a big topic now, with the cities encroaching on what was once, "the country".

 

[forgeblast]

What about doing a poured floor and using a large, the 3'x5' solid poured concrete blocks
(similar to Earth Retaining Solutions but with out the texture) to make the sides.
A lot of the materials people around here use them for dividing sand, stone etc. Plus you could remove them if you ever needed to expand the floor etc.
I wish i knew the name of them I cant find it.

 

[BeezFun]

I made mine by purchasing used conveyor belt material from the local gravel quarry, it's about 1/2"-3/4" thick and is made with steel cords in it like a steel belted radial tire. I had them cut it into 20' lengths, then I put them down in the field right on the grass. So the total size is about 10'x20', cost was about $100 as I recall. I don't think you can cut this stuff yourself, they have some huge hydraulic shear they use, so make sure you get it the right size. We put manure on it starting at one end, tarping it as we go to keep the rain off. Throw a few tires on it to keep the tarp down. I bought an old junker manure spreader for $350, probably holds 125 bushels so it's pretty big. When it comes time to load the manure spreader, I can drive on the rubber from either of the long directions so I don't snag an edge, and scoop up the manure. Traction's not great but good enough to pick it all up, and I never sink down into the mud or churn up any mud because I'm always on the conveyor material.

If that's not an option, I took a pasture management class through the extension office, they brought in the state environment and health department to lecture on manure handling. They went over the laws and regulations about handling manure and had plans for building holding facilities. I thought about a concrete crib but for me getting a concrete truck in here isn't easy, and then you start attracting attention that you have so much manure you're building cribs. I wanted to stay low profile. We're kind of a rural hamlet in the middle of suburbia, lots of people don't like horses or farming activities and will complain.

 

[mojoinco]

The concrete blocks are called 'bin blocks', probably other things too. A local (Denver) concrete plant is advertising seconds for $20 each; $60 regular #1. They are 2'x2'x6' and weigh ~3300#. So delivery and unloading have to be considered. If you have a trailer that can carry them (only 3 with a #10000 trailer) you may be able to load them on a couple of 2x blocks, then pull them off versus lifting them. Or use posts/pipe/etc.

 

[SLHawkins]

DJ54,
What size slab is that?

Hawk

 

[DJ54]

DJ54,
What size slab is that?

Hawk

Hmmm, LOL..., Good question... I'm thinking 18' X 20'.

 

[SLHawkins]

Hmmm, LOL..., Good question... I'm thinking 18' X 20'.

No worries, it happens to us all I have a couple of empty slabs sitting in one of my fields due to two old buildings falling down. Making one of them into a manure crib seems like a good idea. One is already cleared of debris, the other still needs the cinder blocks and roof rhauled away. Your pictures have given me a good idea however:thumbsup: Thanks!

Hawk