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Economic Considerations for Beef Manure Management Systems

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Table 1
Investment per animal for three manure systems

System Herd size
150 300 600
Solid system with dirt lot and holding pond $186 $120 $107
Lagoon system, barn, flushed under slats $795 $636 $555
Slurry system, barn, deep pit under slats $980 $892 $836

Table 2
Net annual cost per animal for three manure systems

System Herd size
150 300 600
Solid system with dirt lot and holding pond $34 $23 $21
Lagoon system, barn, flushed under slats $96 $71 $59

Slurry system, barn, deep pit under slats

 $112 $99 $89

Table 3
Minimum acres required for land application based on nitrogen for three manure systems

System Herd size
150 300 600
Solid system with dirt lot and holding pond 24 acres 49 acres 98 acres
Lagoon system, barn, flushed under slats 15 acres 30 acres 59 acres
Slurry system, barn, deep pit under slats 57 acres 115 acres 229 acres

Table 4
Comparison of annual plant-available nutrient values for the three systems

System Herd size
150 300 600
Nitrogen from solids at $.30 per pound $1,210 $2,416 $4,828
Nitrogen from slurry $2,840 $5,679 $11,358
Nitrogen from lagoon $732 $1,463 $2,927
P2O5 from solids at $0.20 per pound $798 $1,596 $3,192
P2O5 from slurry $1,568 $3,135 $6,270
P2O5 from lagoon $599 $1,197 $2,394
K2O from solids at $0.15 per pound $1,164 $2,316 $4,614
K2O from slurry $1,689 $3,377 $6,755
K2O from lagoon $577 $1,154 $2,309

Table 5
Cost per acre-inch for custom lagoon pumping

System Herd size
150 300 600
Pumping costs for owned equipment purchased used
Acre inches pumped annually 11.1 acres 19.8 acres 36.4 acres
Custom lagoon pumping cost $105 $93 $86
Owned lagoon pumping cost $432 $277 $190
Custom pumping and irrigation from the lagoon system
1.Estimated acre-inches to pump annually 11.1 19.8 36.4
2. Custom pumping charge per hour $70 $70 $70
3. Annual lagoon pumping costs (line 1 x line 2) plus $300 setup charge $1,077 $1,686 $2,848
4. Check labor per year 11 hours 20 hours 36 hours
5. Annual labor costs (line 4 x $8 per hour) $88 $160 $288
6. Total operating costs (line 3 + line 5) $1,165 $1,846 $3,136
7. Cost per acre-inch (line 14 line 1) or per hour operation $104.95 $93.23 $86.15

Table 6
Summary of lagoon system costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Average investment per animal $795 $636 $555
2. Annual operating costs (from Table 12, line 10) $1,357 $2,229 $3,775
3. Annual fixed costs (from Table 11, line 9) $15,000 $23,000 $39,000
4. Total annual costs (line 2 + line 3) $16,357 $25,229 $42,775
5. Annual costs per animal $109 $84 $71
6. Value of manure (from Table 13, line 12) $1,907 $3,815 $7,629
7. Net annual cost (line 4 to line 6) $14,450 $21,414 $35,146
8. Net annual cost per animal $96 $71 $59

Note
Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.

Table 7
Summary of slurry manure (tank) system annual costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Average investment per animal $980 $892 $836
2. Annual operating costs (from Table 19, line 10) $4,750 $8,643 $15,540
3. Annual fixed costs (from Table 18, line 7) $18,117 $33,269 $62,383
4. Total annual costs (line 2 + line 3) $22,867 $41,912 $77,923
5. Annual costs per animal $152 $140 $130
6. Value of manure (from Table 20, line 10) $6,096 $12,191 $24,383
7. Net annual cost (line 4 to line 6) $16,771 $29,721 $53,540
8. Net annual cost per animal $112 $99 $89

Note
Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.

Table 8
Summary of solid manure system annual costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Average investment per animal $186 $120 $107
2. Annual operating costs (from Table 24, line 14) $1,608 $3,485 $7,437
3. Annual cost to have custom irrigator land-apply holding pond effluent (from Table 25) $2,484 $4,512 $8,568
4. Annual fixed costs (from Table 23, line 5) $4,152 $5,125 $9,174
5. Total annual costs (line 2 + line 3 + line 4) $8,244 $13,122 $25,179
6. Annual costs per animal $55 $44 $42
7. Value of manure (from Table 26, line 12) $3,171 $6,327 $12,634
8. Net annual cost (line 4 to line 6) $5,073 $6,795 $12,545
9. Net annual cost per animal $34 $23 $21

Note
Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.

Table 9
Lagoon system investment

  Herd size
150 300 600
Lagoon $13,000 $24,000 $43,000
Fencing per foot $1,200 $1,400 $1,700
Total - Lagoon and fence $14,200 $25,400 $44,700
Flush pit under slats $58,000 $103,000 $194,000
Slats, concrete $14,000 $28,000 $56,000
Total - Flush pit and slats $72,000 $131,000 $250,000
Storage tanks/gates to flush pit $23,000 $24,000 $26,000
Recycling pump and pipe $6,000 $6,000 $7,000
Total — Tanks, gates, pump and pipe $29,000 $30,000 $33,000
Consultation $4,000 $4,500 $5,500
Total investment $119,200 $190,900 $333,200
Average investment per animal $794.67 $636.33 $555.33

Note
Assume square lagoons that are 15 feet deep with 365 days storage, estimated cost at $2 per cut yard.

Table 10
Lagoon system: Annual fixed costs (percent of new cost)

  Lagoon and fence Equipment Consultation
Useful life 20 years 10 years  
Fixed costs as percent of new cost
Depreciation 5.0 percent 9.0 percent1 5.0 percent
Interest 4.02 percent 4.0 percent2 4.0 percent
Repairs and maintenance 1.5 percent 1.5 percent  
Taxes 0.8 percent3 1.03 percent  
Insurance   1.0 percent  
Total 11.3 percent 16.5 percent 9.0 percent
 
  1. Allows for 10 percent salvage.
  2. Annual interest charge is 4 percent of original investment (equivalent to investment x 50 percent x 8 percent APR.)
  3. Tax assessment varies based on value added to the property. A lagoon established on a suitable site in an area where unfavorable geological conditions predominate will add more value to the property than one established in an area with many favorable sites.

Table 11
Lagoon system: Total annual fixed costs

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
1. Lagoon and fence (investment)1 $14,200 $25,400 $44,700
2. Flush pit and slats (investment)1 $72,000 $131,000 $250,000
3. Tanks, gates, pump and pipe (investment)1 $29,000 $30,000 $33,000
4. Consultation1 $4,000 $4,500 $5,500
5. Lagoon and fence (ln 1 x 11.3 percent)2 $1,605 $2,870 $5,051
6. Flush pit and slats (ln 2 x 11.3 percent)2 $8,136 $14,803 $28,250
7. Tanks, gates, pump and pipe (ln 3 x 16.5 percent)2 $4,785 $4,950 $5,445
8. Consultation (ln 4 x 9 percent)2 $360 $405 $495
9. Total annual fixed costs (ln 5 + ln 6 + ln 7 + ln 8) $14,886 $23,028 $39,241
10. Annual cost per animal $99.24 $76.76 $65.40
 
  1. Assume square lagoons that are 15 feet deep with 365 days storage, estimated cost at $2 per cut yard.
  2. Transferred from Table 9.
  3. Transferred from Table 10.

Table12
Lagoon system: Annual operating costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
Operating recycle pump
1. Size electric pump 1.5 hp 3 hp 5 hp
2. Annual pumping time (5 hours daily x 365 days) 1,825 hours 1,825 hours 1,825 hours
3. Cost per hour (1kw x hp x $.07 per kw) $0.11 $0.21 $0.35
4. Annual pumping costs (line 2 x line 3) $192 $383 $639
Irrigation lagoon annual pumping cost
5. Estimated acre-inches to pump annually from lagoon design 11.1 19.8 36.4
6. Custom pumping charge per hour1 $70 $70 $70
7. Annual lagoon pumping costs (line 5 x line 6) + $300 setup $1,077 $1,686 $2,848
8. Check labor per year2 11 hours 20 hours 36 hours
9. Annual labor costs (line 8 x $8 per hour) $88 $160 $288
10. Total operating costs (line 4 + line 7 + line 9) $1,357 $2,229 $3,775
 
  1. Assume a traveling gun pumps 500 gallons per minute, which allows pumping 1 acre-inch per hour.
  2. Check labor required to inspect the irrigation system periodically to determine if the traveling gun and equipment are operating adequately. Assume 1 hour per hour of irrigator operation.

Table 13
Lagoon system: Value of manure to plant production

  Herd size
150 300 600
Nutrients produced per year1
1. Ammonia nitrogen 3,600 pounds 7,200 pounds 14,400 pounds
2. Organic nitrogen 450 pounds 900 pounds 1800 pounds
3. P2O5 (phosphate)2 3,150 pounds 6,300 pounds 12,600 pounds
4. K2O (potash)2 4,050 pounds 8,100 pounds 16,200 pounds
Fertilizer nutrient equivalent available
5. Ammonia nitrogen (line 1 x 60 percent)3 2,160 pounds 4,320 pounds 8,640 pounds
6. Organic nitrogen (line 2 x 62 percent)3 279 pounds 558 pounds 1116 pounds
7. P2O5 (line 3 x 95 percent)3 2,993 pounds 5,985 pounds 11,970 pounds
8. K2O (line 4 x 95 percent)3 3,848 pounds 7,695 pounds 15,390 pounds
Value of fertilizer equivalents
9. Nitrogen (ln 5 + ln 6) x $0.30 per pound) $732 $1,463 $2,927
10. Phosphate (line 7 x $0.20 per pound) $599 $1,197 $2,394
11. Potash (line 8 x $0.15 per pound) $577 $1,154 $2,309
12. Total value of fertilizer equivalent $1,907 $3,815 $7,629
13. Minimum number of acres to irrigate4 14.8 29.6 59.1
14. Value of fertilizer equivalent per acre (line 12 4 line 13)5 $129 $129 $129
 
  1. Average analysis of lagoon waste.
  2. P x 2.29 = P2O5 ; K x 1.21 = K2O
  3. Average percent available to plant.
  4. Application of 165 pounds of available nitrogen per acre for corn
  5. Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.Assumed value of the fertilizer nutrients
Assumed value of the fertilizer nutrients
  • Nitrogen
    $0.30 per pound
  • Phosphate
    $0.20 per pound
  • Potash
    $0.15 per pound

Table 14
Manure ammonia-nitrogen loss by days until worked into the soil

Days until incorporation Ammonia-N available for crops
0 to 2 80 percent
2 to 4 60 percent
4 to 7 40 percent
more than 7 20 percent

Table 15
Manure organic nitrogen available by year

Manure applied Organic N available during year
Current year 40 to 60 percent
1 year ago 10 percent
2 years ago 5 percent
3 years ago 5 percent

Table 16
Slurry (liquid manure pit/tanker) system: Investment

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
1. Manure pit (under slats)1 $85,000 $150,000 $280,000
2. Slats (concrete) $14,000 $28,000 $56,000
3. Agitating and loading pump $10,000 $11,000 $11,000
4. Tank wagon with injectors2 $35,000 $75,000 $150,000
5. Consultation $3,000 $3,500 $4,500
6. Total investment $147,000 $267,500 $501,500
7. Average investment per animal $980 $892 $836
8. Estimated hours per year to land apply3 50 hours 67 hours 74 hours
 
  1. Assumes 12 feet deep excavation 8 feet beyond walls all around at bottom at a cost of $2 per cut yard including backfilling. Excavation to have sides sloped at 2:1 for workers' safety.
  2. Assumes a 4,200 gallon tanker pulled by a 190 hp tractor for 150 head; a 12,000 gallon tanker pulled by a 325 hp tractor for 300 head; and two 12,000 gallon tankers each pulled by a 325 hp tractor for 600 head.
  3. Assumes 8,000 gallons applied per acre for 165 pounds of N to be available for corn. Assumes 0.5 mile haul for 150 head; 0.75 mile haul for 300 head and 1 mile haul for 600 head.

Table 17
Slurry (liquid manure pit) system: Annual fixed costs (percent of new cost)

  Lagoon and fence Equipment Consultation
Useful life 20 years 10 years 20 years
Fixed costs as percent of new cost
Depreciation 5.0 percent 9.0 percent1 5.0 percent
Interest 4.0 percent2 4.0 percent2 4.0 percent
Repairs and maintenance 0.5 percent 2.5 percent  
Taxes 0.8 percent3 1.0 percent  
Insurance   0.5 percent  
Total 10.3 percent 17.0 percent 9.0 percent
 
  1. Allows for 10 percent salvage.
  2. Annual interest charge is 4 percent of original investment (equivalent to investment x 50 percent x 8 percent APR.)
  3. Tax assessment varies based on value added to the property.

Table 18
Slurry (liquid manure pit) system: Total annual fixed costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Deep pit and slotted floor (from Table 16, line 1 + line 2) $99,000 $178,000 $336,000
2. Equipment, initial investment1 $45,000 $86,000 $161,000
3. Consultation2 $3,000 $3,500 $4,500
4. Pit and floor (line 1 x 10.3 percent)3 $10,197 $18,334 $34,608
5. Equipment, annual costs (line 2 x 17 percent)3 $7,650 $14,620 $27,370
6. Consultation (line 3 x 9 percent)3 $270 $315 $405
7. Total annual fixed costs (line 4 + line 5 + line 6) $18,117 $33,269 $62,383
8. Total annual fixed costs per animal $121 $111 $104
 
  1. From Table 16, line 3 + line 4.
  2. Transferred from Table 16.
  3. Transferred from Table 17.

Table 19
Slurry (liquid manure pit) system: Annual operating costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
Power supply use annually
1. Agitation/pump tractor1 50 hours 67 hours 74 hours
2. Tank wagon tractor(s) per year2 50 hours 67 hours 74 hours
Power costs
3. Agitation/pump tractor 135 hp 170 hp 170 hp
4. Agitation pump tractor operating costs per hour3 $37 $48 $48
5. Agitation pump tractor operating costs per year $1,850 $3,216 $3,552
6. Tank wagon tractor(s), hp 190 325 325
7. Tank wagon tractor(s) operating costs per hour4 $49 $72 $144
8. Tank wagon tractor(s) operating costs per year (line 2 x line 7)3 $2,450 $4,824 $10,656
Labor costs
9. Tractor operators (one for 150 and 300 head, two for 600 head) x $9 per hour)5 $450 $603 $1,332
10. Total operating costs (line 5 + line 8 + line 9) $4,750 $8,643 $15,540
11. Total operating costs per animal $32 $29 $26
 
  1. Based on same hours as spreading to keep agitated.
  2. Hauling time per load by herd size (minutes): 150 animals — 27; 300 — 52; 600 — 57.
  3. Based on 2002 Doane's Machinery Custom Rates Guide plus estimated fuel cost.
  4. Cost for 600 head is for operating two 325 hp tractors.
  5. Assumes that the tanker-tractor operator(s) operates the agitator/pump and its tractor.

Table 20
Slurry (manure tank) system: Value of manure to plant production

  Herd size (1,000-pound animals)
150 300 600
Nutrients produced per year
1. Ammonia nitrogen 3,600 pounds 7,200 pounds 14,400 pounds
2. Organic nitrogen 9,750 pounds 19,500 pounds 39,000 pounds
3. P2O5 (phosphate)1 8,250 pounds 16,500 pounds 33,000 pounds
4. K2O (potash)1 11,850 pounds 23,700 pounds 47,400 pounds
Fertilizer nutrient equivalent per year
5. Ammonia nitrogen (line 1 x 95 percent)2 3,420 pounds 6,840 pounds 13,680 pounds
6. Organic nitrogen (line 2 x 62 percent)3 6,045 pounds 12,090 pounds 24,180 pounds
Value of fertilizer equivalents
7. Nitrogen (line 5 + line 6) x $0.30 per pound) $2,840 $5,679 $11,358
8. Phosphate (line 3 x 0.95 percent4 x $0.20 per pound) $1,568 $3,135 $6,270
9. Potash (line 4 x 0.95 percent4 x $0.15 per pound) $1,689 $3,377 $6,755
10. Total value of fertilizer equivalent $6,096 $12,191 $24,383
11. Minimum number of acres to apply slurry5 57 115 229
12. Value of fertilizer equivalent per acre (line 10 4 line 11)6 $106 $106 $106
 
  1. P x 2.29 = P2O5; K x 1.21 = K2O
  2. Assumes immediate incorporation with tank-wagon injection.
  3. Assumes same amount of manure applied to fields each year.
  4. Average percent available to plant.
  5. Based on 165 pounds of nitrogen per acre for corn.
  6. Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.
Assumed value of the fertilizer nutrients
  • Nitrogen
    $0.30 per pound
  • Phosphate
    $0.20 per pound
  • Potash
    $0.15 per pound

Table 21
Solid-manure, dirt-lot system: Investment

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
1. Holding pond (without separation) $8,000 $14,000 $25,000
2. Fence $950 $1,100 $1,350
3. Pond and fence (ln 1 + ln 2) $8,950 $15,100 $26,350
4. Box scraper $3,000 $3,000 $4,000
5. Front-end loader $6,000 $6,000 $9,000
6. Spreader1 $10,000 $12,000 $25,000
7. Equipment (line 4 + line 5 + line 6) $19,000 $21,000 $38,000
8. Total investment (line 3 + line 7) $27,950 $36,100 $64,350
9. Average investment per animal $186 $120 $107
10. Estimated hours per year to land apply2 21 hours 44 hours 79 hours
 
  1. Assumes 300 bushels (6 ton) spreader and 100 hp MFWD tractor for 0.5 mile haul, 400 bushels (8 ton) spreader and 130 hp MFWD tractor for 0.75 mile haul, and 636 bushels (12 ton) spreader and 185 hp MFWD tractor for 1mile haul for 150 head, 300 head, and 600 head, respectively.
  2. Assumes 2 tons of solid manure per head per year.

Table 22
Solid (dirt lot) manure system: Annual fixed costs as a percent of new cost

  Holding pond and fence Equipment1
Useful life 20 years 10 years
Fixed costs as percent of new cost
Depreciation 5 percent 9 percent
Interest2 4 percent 4 percent
Repairs and maintenance 0.5 percent 2.5 percent
Taxes 0.8 percent 1 percent
Insurance   0.5 percent
Total 10.3 percent 17 percent
 
  1. Allows for 10 percent salvage.
  2. Annual interest charge is 4 percent of original investment (equivalent to investment x 50 percent x 8 percent APR.)

Table 23
Solid (dirt lot) manure system: Total annual fixed costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Holding pond and fence1 $8,950 $15,100 $26,350
2. Equipment, initial investment2 $19,000 $21,000 $38,000
3. Holding pond and fence (line 1 x 10.3 percent)3 $922 $1,555 $2,714
4. Equipment, annual costs (line 2 x 17 percent)3 $3,230 $3,570 $6,460
5. Total annual fixed costs (line 3 + line 4) $4,152 $5,125 $9,174
6. Total annual fixed costs per animal $28 $17 $15
 
  1. From Table 21, line 3.
  2. From Table 21, line 7.
  3. Transferred from Table 22.

Table 24
Solid (dirt lot) manure system: Annual operating costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
Power supply use annually
1. Scraper tractor, hours per year1 13 hours 26 hours 52 hours
2. Loader tractor, hours per year2 8 hours 15 hours 25 hours
3. Spreader tractor, hours per year3 21 hours 44 hours 79 hours
Power costs
4. Scraper tractor 105 hp 105 hp 105 hp
5. Scraper tractor operating costs per hour4 $31 $31 $31
6. Scraper tractor operating costs per year (line 1 x line 5) $403 $806 $1612
7. Loader tractor 105 hp 105 hp 105 hp
8. Loader tractor operating costs per hour4 $31 $31 $31
9. Loader tractor operating costs per year (line 2 x line 8) $248 $465 $775
10. Spreader tractor 100 hp 130 hp 185 hp
11. Spreader tractor operating costs per hour4 $31 $36 $49
12. Spreader tractor operating costs per year (ln 3 x ln 11) $651 $1,584 $3,871
Labor costs
13. Tractor operators at $9 per hour)5 $306 $630 $1,179
Total operating costs
14. Total operating costs (line 6 + line 9 + line 12 + line 13) $1,608 $3,485 $7,437
15. Total operating costs per animal $11 $12 $12
 
  1. Based on 15 minutes per week per 150-head lot.
  2. Estimated loading time per load by herd size (minutes): 150 animals - 10 minutes; 300 - 12 minutes; 600 - 15 minutes
  3. Hauling time per load by herd size (minutes): 150 animals - 25 minutes; 300 - 35 minutes; 600 - 47 minutes
  4. Based on "2002 Doane's Machinery Custom Rates Guide" plus estimated fuel cost at $1.30 per gallon
  5. Assumes the spreader tractor operator operates the loader tractor.

Table 25
Holding pond pumping costs (solids system): Annual operating costs

  Herd size
150 300 600
1. Estimated acre-inches to pump annually from holding pond design 28 54 106
2. Custom pumping charge per hour 1 $70 $70 $70
3. Annual lagoon pumping costs (line 1 x line 2) + $300 setup $2,260 $4,080 $7,720
4. Check labor per year2 28 hours 54 hours 106 hours
5. Annual labor costs (line 4 x $8 per hour) $224 $432 $848
6. Total operating costs (line 3 + line 5) $2,484 $4,512 $8,568
 
  1. Assume a traveling-gun pumps 500 gallons per minute, which allows pumping one acre-inch per hour.
  2. Check labor required to inspect the irrigation system periodically to determine if the traveling gun and equipment are operating adequately. Assume one hour per hour of irrigator operation.

Table 26A
Solid manure system: Value of solid manure to plant production

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
Nutrients produced per year
1. Ammonia nitrogen 2,100 pounds 4,200 pounds 8,400 pounds
2. Organic nitrogen 4,200 pounds pounds 8,400 pounds pounds 16,800 pounds pounds
3. P2O5 (phosphate) 4,200 pounds 8,400 pounds 16,800 pounds
4. K2O (potash) 6,900 pounds 13,800 pounds 27,600 pounds
Fertilizer nutrient equivalent
5. Ammonia nitrogen (line 1 x 60)1 1,260 pounds 2,520 pounds 5,040 pounds
6. Organic nitrogen (line 2 x 62 percent)2 2,604 pounds 5,208 pounds 10,416 pounds
Value of fertilizer equivalents
7. Nitrogen (line 5 + line 6) x $0.30 per pound) $1,159 $2,318 $4,637
8. Phosphate (line 3 x 0.95 percent3 x $0.20 per pound) $798 $1,596 $3,192
9. Potash (line 4 x 0.95 percent3 x $0.15 per pound) $983 $1,967 $3,933
10. Total value of fertilizer equivalent $2,940 $5,881 $11,762
11. Minimum number of acres to apply solid manure.4 23 acres 47 acres 94 acres
12. Value of fertilizer equivalent per acre (line 10 4 line 11) $126 $126 $126
 
  1. Assumes no incorporation.
  2. Assumes same amount spread on same fields each year.
  3. Average percent available to plant.
  4. 165 pounds of nitrogen per acre from manure.
  5. Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.

P x 2.29 = P2O5; K x 1.21 = K2O

Assumed value of the fertilizer nutrients
  • Nitrogen
    $0.30 per pound
  • Phosphate
    $0.20 per pound
  • Potash
    $0.15 per pound

Table 26B
Solid manure system: Value of holding pond effluent manure to plant production

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
Nutrients produced per year
1. Ammonia nitrogen 253 pounds 488 pounds 954 pounds
2. Organic nitrogen 28 pounds 54 pounds 106 pounds
3. P2O5 (phosphate) 0 pounds 0 pounds 0 pounds
4. K2O (potash) 1,268 pounds 2,446 pounds 4,779 pounds
Fertilizer nutrient equivalent
5. Ammonia nitrogen (line 1 x 60 percent)1 152 pounds 293 pounds 572 pounds
6. Organic nitrogen (line 2 x 62 percent)2 17 pounds 33 pounds 66 pounds
Value of fertilizer equivalents
7. Nitrogen (line 5 + line 6) x $0.30 per pound) $51 $98 $191
8. Phosphate (line 3 x 0.95 percent3 x $0.20 per pound) 0 0 0
9. Potash (line 4 x 0.95 percent3 x $0.15 per pound) $181 $349 $681
10. Total value of fertilizer equivalent $231 $446 $872
11. Minimum number of acres to apply solid manure4 1 acres 2 acres 4 acres
12. Value of fertilizer equivalent per acre (line 10 4 line 11) $226 $226 $226
 
  1. Assumes no incorporation.
  2. Assumes same amount spread on same fields each year.
  3. Average percent available to plant.
  4. 165 pounds of nitrogen per acre from manure in effluent.
  5. Value of manure assumes all contained nutrients are needed and used for crop production in lieu of commercial fertilizer.

P x 2.29 = P2O5; K x 1.21 = K2O

Assumed value of the fertilizer nutrients
  • Nitrogen
    $0.30 per pound
  • Phosphate
    $0.20 per pound
  • Potash
    $0.15 per pound

Table 27
Annual fixed costs expressed as percent of initial cost of irrigation system

  Acre-inches lagoon waste pumped annually
50 to 175 175 to 300
Useful life 15 years 10 years
Depreciation 6.0 percent 9.0 percent
Interest 4.0 percent 4.0 percent
Repairs and maintenance 7.0 percent 10.0 percent
Taxes 1.5 percent 1.5 percent
Total fixed costs 18.5 percent 24.5 percent

Note
Based on used equipment with above average maintenance and care.

Table 28
Traveling gun system: Annual fixed costs

    Acre-inches lagoon waste pumped annually
50 to 175 175 to 300
Initial cost percent Annual fixed costs percent Annual fixed costs
1. Traveling gun1 $10,000 18.5 $1,850 24.5 $2,450
2. PTO pump, 500 gpm1 $3,000 18.5 $555 24.5 $735
3. Agitation pump2 $3,500 18.5 $648 24.5 $858
4. Aluminum pipe1 $4,200 18.5 $777    
$8,400     24.5 $2,058
5. Total annual fixed cost     $3,830   $6,101
 
  1. Workable used equipment.
  2. Not needed if you have a solids separator.

Table 29
Annual ownership and operating costs for a used traveling gun for lagoon system

  Herd size, 1,000-pound animals
150 300 600
Annual operating costs
1. Acre-inches of effluent1 11.1 19.8 36.4
2. Agitation pump time2 11.1 hours 19.8 hours 36.4 hours
3. Minimum acres spread over3 14.8 acres 29.6 acres 59.1 acres
4. Number times system set up4 2 times 3 times 6 times
5. Set up time5 16 hours 24 hours 48 hours
Power costs
6. Irrigation pump (line 1 x $27 per hour 80 hp, includes fuel)7 $300 $535 $983
7. Agitation pump (line 2 x $30.67 per hour 100 hp)7 $340 $607 $1116
8. Laying pipe (line 5 x 25 percent6 x $27 per hour)7 $108 $162 $324
Labor costs
9. Check labor8 (from line 1) 11.1 hours 19.8 hours 36.4 hours
10. Total labor (line 5 + line 9) 27.1 hours 43.8 hours 84.4 hours
11. Total labor costs (line 10 x $8 per hour) $217 $350 $675
12. Total annual operating costs (add lines 6, 7, 8 and 11) $965 $1,654 $3,098
13. Total annual fixed costs (Table 28, line 5) $3,830 $3,830 $3,830
14. Total annual costs (line 12 + line 13) $4,795 $5,484 $6,928
15. Cost per acre-inch (line 14 line 1) or per hour operation $432 $277 $190
 
  1. Transferred from Table 12, line 5; also irrigation operating hours.
  2. Agitator hours equal to pumping hours.
  3. Transferred from Table 13, line 13.
  4. One setup per 10 acres.
  5. Eight hours labor per set up.
  6. Assume tractor operates 25 percent of time required to lay pipe.
  7. Tractor power cost taken from "Doane's Machinery Custom Rates Guide, 2002."
  8. Check labor is used to check the irrigation system periodically to determine if the system is operating adequately. Assume continuous monitoring during land application.

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Economic Considerations for Beef Manure Management Systems

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