Part 1, Section 2: Soil Fertility Management
Soil Fertility Management
MANURE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
Manure production
If a direct measurement of actual manure production is not possible, the daily production figures in Table 1.2-13 can be used to estimate manure production for the farm. In calculating manure production, remember to account for animal growth.
For example, if you are raising hogs from weaned pigs to market weight, you would need to use an average weight of the growing animals, not the market weight, to estimate manure production. You also need to account for changing populations of animals on the farm during the year. Examples might include buying feeders and selling steers at different times of the year, or the down-time between broiler flocks.
Use the total production figure, along with the nutrient contents given in Table 1.2-13 (or better yet, from a manure analysis), to calculate the total nutrients produced in the manure that can, with proper management, contribute to the farm’s fertility program. Dividing this total production figure by the acreage that received manure also is a crude check on the peracre application rate.