Fighting Foaming Manure
Regardless of if you run a custom application business or are a producer yourself, foaming manure is not only a hassle but is hazardous to livestock and people alike. After doing some testing of our own, we’ve really been pleased with the knockdown power of Profit Pro Ag’s Manure Master FoamAway and Manure Mechanical Defoamer.
To immediately work on reducing microbial foam commonly found in hog pits, we recommend using Manure Master FoamAway. This dry product is broadcasted on top of the manure surface but if you are wanting faster results, it can also be watered into the manure. To ensure livestock don’t consume Manure Master FoamAway, sweep away any product that remains on top of the slats. Foaming typically recedes within a week of application and remains this way for up to 2 months, in some cases longer. Because manure foam contains large amounts of methane, (up to 70%), it’s best practice to make sure any ignition sources are turned off and barns are properly ventilated before treating, just as you would during agitation. Although ManureMaster FoamAway works great to tackle foaming issues short-term, a complete biological treatment plan is best for proactive, year-round control.
For those that are plagued with mechanical foaming during pump out, we’ve seen great results with Manure Mechanical Defoamer, the more environmentally acceptable option over diesel. This plant-based oil product can be agitated into pits, lagoons, tankers or manure tanks at the rate of 1 gallon per 100,000-300,000 gallons. On top of the 33% gain on load capacity, users also save on time, fuel, equipment and labor costs. Some pumpers working to manage foaming manure have seen savings of $5.26 for every $1 spent on Manure Mechanical Defoamer.
Operational Cost of Manure Foam Example*
- 250 semi loads per day × 5,000 gal. manure per load
= 1,250,000 gal. moved per day - 1,250,000 × 25% foam reduction
= 312,500 gal. of foam moved per day - 312,500 ÷ 5,000 gal. manure per load
= 62.5 loads lost per day to foam - 62.5 ÷ 4 air-filled loads per hour
≈ 15.6 hours lost per day to foam - 15.6 × $125.00 hauling cost per hour
= $2,000 lost per day to foam - Other costs associated with foaming
= $1,000.00+ per day - $2,000 loss per day + $1,000 additional cost
= approx. $3,000.00 loss per day to foam - 1,250,000 gal. manure ÷ 100,000 gal. (treatment rate)
= 12.5 gal. of product needed - $45.60/gal. for product × 12.5 gal.
= $570 for Manure Mechanical Defoamer - $3,000 daily loss ÷ $570 for product
= $5.26 return on investment
*This is an example of Manure Mechanical Defoamer on a 1,150 head dairy operation. In this case, semi tankers are hauling to a frac tank with a drag-line applicator operating in the field.
As long as manure foam continues to be an issue for the industry, having tools to remove the hazard will be key. You don’t have to take our word for the quality results these products produce, read what our customers had to say about the two foam reducing agents. For more information on Manure Master FoamAway, Manure Mechanical Defoamer, or the full line of Profit Pro Ag’s biological treatments, chat with the Stutsman manure equipment team or shop online at shopstutsmans.com.