dairy's bottom line june 2015
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Volume 17: Issue 4June 2015
Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
Professional Dairy Producers® I 1-800-947-7379 I www.pdpw.org
Sharing ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
B O T T O M L I N E
Two-part series — see Pages 1 and 14
Beware silage danger – see Page 8
Prevent electrical hazards – see Page 12
AMBER RADATZUniversity of Wisconsin-ExtensionDiscovery Farms
As a dairy farmer, you don’t want to leave anything on the table. As margins tighten, you might be looking for ways to increase forage production without increasing acreage. Do cover crops have the
potential to help solve this prob-lem?
There are c r o p p i n g and farming systems in Wisconsin w h e r e
establishment of cover crops is tough for a variety of rea-sons. However, there are sce-narios where implementa-tion of cover crops becomes functional, economical and truly worthwhile.
An obvious fit for cover crops is in a dairy rotation where the extra forage can be useful and needed. SARE — Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education — conducted a national survey in 2014 of more than 1,900 farmers. It showed that both c ove r- c ro p u s e rs a n d non-users ranked reducing erosion and compaction, and
increasing organic matter, as the most important benefi ts of cover crops.
But though soil manage-ment is critically important, it is often di� cult to justify intensifying management if the only perceived benefi t is to the soil. Instead, think about it as intensifying the dairy-cropping rotation to improve soil, produce more
feed on the same number of acres and reduce nitrogen loss.
1. Improved soil. April, May and June are a vulnera-ble time for Wisconsin soils. Even in a good spring, crop canopy is usually not enough until late June to protect the soil from erosion.
Are you missing out on forage yield?
Farmers talk crops and production during a Discovery Farms field day. UW Discovery Farms, part of UW Extension, is a farmer-led program that works with the U.S. Geological Survey to gather credible and unbiased water-quality information from different types of farming systems, in landscapes throughout Wisconsin. The program’s mission is to develop on-farm and related research to determine the economic and environmental effects of agricultural practices on a diverse group of Wisconsin farms; and to educate and improve communications among the agricultural community, consumers, researchers and policy makers to better identify and implement effective environmental-management practices that are compatible with profitable agriculture.
Amber Radatz
See YIELD, on page 2
Tell your farm’s story – see Page 11
Two-part series —
YIELDContinued from page 1
UW Discovery Farms runoff data shows April, May and June as the make-or-break months for non-winter runoff and sediment loss. About 80 percent of non-winter runoff and 88 percent of sediment loss happens during April, May and June. It is worth putting extra thought into whether cover crops can protect soil from annoying erosion prob-lems during the spring of the year.
2. More feed. Dr. Matt Ruark, UW-Extension soil scientist, has researched corn-silage yield with and without a cover crop of win-ter rye for the past three years at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station. In each year, the highest forage-yielding trial was when ryelage was harvested and followed with corn silage.
Corn-silage yield was reduced by about 5 tons per acre in two of three years with winter rye taken for forage. However, every year the combined total forage yield of corn silage plus ryelage was the same or greater than corn silage alone.
Also, interestingly, corn-si-lage yield did not decrease when rye was used solely as a cover crop — not har-vested for forage and killed in the s p r i n g b e fo re corn planting.
3. More nitro-g e n . R u a r k ’s study at Arling-ton also found that rye cover c ro ps s i g n i f i-cantly reduce soil nitrate concen-trations, but the subsequent corn-silage crop did not require extra nitrogen above the optimum nitrogen rate.
Because of that there is less nitrate available to leach to groundwater through the shoul-
der seasons, and a n a d e q u a t e amount is still available for the corn-silage crop.
Amber Radatz is co-director of UW Discovery Farms and has spent the past decade working with dairy farm-ers on manure management and
nutrient-loss risk reduction. She can be reached at [email protected] or 715-983-5668.
2 June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
PDPW Board of Directors
President Mitch BreunigSauk City, Wis.608-643-6818
Vice President Marty HallockMondovi, Wis.715-495-2812
Secretary Kay Zwald
Hammond, Wis.715-796-5510
Treasure r Charlie CraveWaterloo, Wis.920-478-3812
Directors Brian ForrestStratford, Wis.715-650-0267
Jay HeegColby, Wis.
Jeremy NatzkeGreenleaf, Wis.920-371-1968
Dan ScheiderFreeport, Ill.815-821-4012
Linda WhiteReedsburg, Wis.608-393-3985
PDPW Advisors Dr. Steve Kelm
University of Wisconsin-River FallsRiver Falls, Wis.
Andrew JohnsonMarathon County
Conservation DepartmentEdgar, Wis.
Steve SchwoererBadgerland Financial
Fond du Lac, Wis.
Dr. Richard WallaceZoetis
McFarland, Wis.
Dairy’s Bottom Line is publishedby PDPW in cooperation
with Agri-View.1901 Fish Hatchery RoadMadison, Wisconsin 53713Toll-Free: [email protected]
www.agriview.com
Editorial Managing EditorJulie Belschner608-219-8316
Advertising Sales ManagerTammy Strauss608-250-4157
Rye cover crop planted this spring.
Corn-silage yield was reduced by about 5
tons per acre in two of three years with winter
rye taken for forage. However, every year the combined total forage yield of corn
silage plus ryelage was the same or greater
than corn silage alone.
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June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 3
MARY ELVEKROGBadgerland Financial
There are many challenges when it comes to dairy farming, one of the most notable being labor management.
I have often heard dairy farm-ers say they are in the “peo-ple-management business,” not the “cow-management busi-ness.” While this might be a slight exaggeration, many farmers are spending more time monitoring labor costs and managing employee availability and retention issues.
Considering many farms’ direct out-of-pocket cost for hired labor is $3 to $4 per hun-dredweight of milk and is usu-ally the second-highest expense behind feed, it is an area that deserves careful monitoring.
In the event you don’t know already, it’s critical that you know your overall labor cost. You can’t manage that which yo u d o n o t k n o w. T h e calculation is fairly straightfor-ward: divide the sum of labor
cost — including wages paid to non-family, owner withdrawal, payroll taxes, benefits, work-men’s compensation, etc. — by total hundredweight sold on your farm last year. As a lender, I also focus on labor as a
percentage of total costs; it should be between 15 percent and 20 percent.
Unlike other management areas, labor needs and costs usually do not change during times of lower milk prices or tight profit margins. The work must be done!
However, it is important to stay on top of the numbers, even from an efficiency stand-point. What, and how much, is being produced by your labor? If your dairy peers are produc-ing the same amount of revenue for a $3 per hundredweight labor cost and yours is $3.75 per hundredweight, how does that affect your competitive edge and profitability?
Dairying: More than cow management
Huron Mireles, 31, a herdsman at Norm-E-Lanes, walks past dairy cows in one of the barns.
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DAIRYINGContinued from page 3
With that said, I do want to mention that you should exercise some caution when comparing to industry and peer averages alone. There are many factors that impact the equation; every farm is unique. When reviewing labor costs and exploring areas of improvement, the following are a few things to keep in mind:
• Labor availability: Is family labor available and utilized? Typically family labor has lower turnover, which helps improve efficiency. At the same time, family labor usually has higher compensation. Finding the right balance is important. And remember, as an employer you compete for employees in the labor marketplace — especially good employees.
• Employment status: Is your labor force full-time or part-time? For example, if an employee is working 80 percent but being paid as 100 percent, it’s inefficient and costly to the farm. This can be a sensitive issue, especially if dealing with a family member. Job sizing and descriptions for everyone can help reduce issues in this area.
• Labor retention: Do you have a difficult time keeping labor? Farms with a low employ-ee-turnover rate are usually more efficient; it is costly to con-tinually train new employees. Take a look at your hiring philos-ophy to determine if you are hir-ing the right people.
• Contracted labor or custom hire: Are you more efficient managing your own labor or are you better off contracting cer-tain jobs? Every farm is different and there is no one right answer for everyone. Many farmers have custom heifer raisers, manure haulers, planters and
harvesters because they simply cannot do these tasks as effi-ciently themselves – both in cost and in manpower.
• Employee morale: Are the right people in the right jobs? Are employees motivated and happy? I realize this is no easy feat. But when employees’ strengths and weaknesses fit their role – and they feel respected, appreciated and fairly compensated — they are more productive and your farm is more profitable.
• Land base: Do you grow all your own crops or do you pur-chase feed to meet your farm’s needs? Farms that grow all their own crops have a higher cost of labor and usually a lower cost of purchased feed.
What I’ve mentioned here only touches the surface of labor cost and management. Considering the investment and impact on your farm, actively managing your labor force should not be ignored.
Dairy farms require a dedicated team of people, no matter how large or small the farm. When the team is working together, with each person contributing to the success of the farm, it is not only more efficient and profitable, but also rewarding.
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See GENOMIC, on page 6
June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 5
KENT A. WEIGELDepartment of Dairy Science University of Wisconsin-Madison
Genomi c selecti on has replaced progeny testing in dairy-cattle improvement pro-grams. Now, single nucleotide polymorphisms markers in the cattle genome are used to pre-dict the genetic merit of young
animals that have no off-spring or per-formance data of their own.
Mo re t h a n 950,000 dairy b u l l s, c ows, h e i f e r s a n d c a l v e s h a v e
been tested to date. The Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding pro-vides routine genomic-pre-dicted transmitting abilities for use by farmers in making sire-selection and replace-ment-heifer management deci-sions.
Virtually every bull offered to U.S. dairy farmers has been cho-sen based on the results of
genomic testing. The National Association of Animal Breeders denotes young genome-tested bulls with no milk-recorded off-spring as “G” status – genomic, whereas older bulls that have 10 or more milking daughters in the United States are denoted as “A” status – active.
As shown in Table 1, the number of young G-status bulls currently in the marketplace far exceeds that of A-status bulls that have completed progeny testing. The difference in aver-age genetic merit between these groups is striking. Net Merit of young bulls is $166, $239 and $128 greater than for proge-ny-tested bulls in Brown Swiss, Holsteins and Jerseys, respec-tively.
The price we pay for higher predicted genetic merit is lower reliability, a difference of 25 per-cent for Brown Swiss, 17 percent for Holsteins and 22 percent for Jerseys. These losses in reliabil-ity are proportional to the size of
Control genomic risk – the power of three
Breed Status No.
Milk in pounds Daughter pregnancy rate in percentage
Net Merit – $
Predicted transmitting abilities
Reliability Predicted transmitting abilities
Reliability Predicted transmitting abilities
Reliability
Brown Swiss
Active 33 251 89 0.1 69 149 84
Genomic 43 576 62 0.3 50 315 59
Holstein Active 618 515 94 0.3 82 240 90
Genomic 1,499 860 76 1.1 68 479 73
Jersey Active 104 411 93 -0.2 75 238 87
Genomic 317 650 69 -0.3 52 366 65
Average predicted transmitting values and corresponding reliability values for milk yield, daughter pregnancy rate, and Lifetime Net Merit for active and genomic bulls marketed to U.S. dairy farmers, based on December 2014 Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding genetic evaluations.
Kent Weigel
Table 1
6 June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
GENOMICContinued from page 5
the corresponding genomic ref-erence populations for these breeds. The best strategy for managing the risk associated with lower reliability o f y o u n g genome-tested bulls is to increase the number of different bulls that are used at any given time, as shown in Table 2.
The reliability values of individual genomic bulls range from 70 percent to 76 percent, whereas the reliabil-ity of average genetic merit for a team of three bulls ranges from 90 percent to 92 percent. Increasing team size to six pro-vides 95 percent to 96 percent reliability for the team average, and increasing team size to 12
leads to 98 percent reliability.What is the Power of Three?
It’s a very simple way to manage the risk of lower reliability when using young genome-tested bulls.
Many farmers are uncomfort-able with the risk associated with reliability values in the 70 percent to 76 percent range, because they’ve become accustomed to u s i n g p ro ge -ny-tested bulls
with reliability values at about 90 percent. But if they decide to avoid these G-status bulls, they’ll miss out on genetic progress, because these bulls have much higher genom-ic-predicted transmitting abili-ties values for production, type and health traits, as well as Life-time Net Merit, as compared
Bull Type
Individual Net Merit Predicted transmitting ability in $
Individual Net Merit Reliability by percentage
Team of 3 Team of 6 Team of 12
Predicted Transmitting Ability
Reliability Predicted Transmitting Ability
Reliability Predicted Transmitting Ability
Reliability
Active
256 93 266 97
344 99
235 99
461 86 81 98 295 89
422 98 328 96 643 93 85 88
83 96
127 98
270 85 -106 87 -138 92
170 97 340 93 309 91
Genomic
314 72 222 91
374 96
454 98
416 76 -63 74 499 73
525 91 496 71 581 73 585 70
621 90 535 95
712 71 566 70 182 74
449 92 611 75
Example of predicted transmitting values and corresponding reliability for Net Merit of active and genomic Holstein bulls versus reliability of a team of the same bulls, where Team Reliability = [1 – (1 – average REL of individual bulls in the team)/(number of bulls in the team)], with reliability expressed as a proportion – 93 percent REL = 0.93.
Table 2
The reliability values of individual genomic
bulls range from 70 percent to 76
percent, whereas the reliability of average
genetic merit for a team of three bulls
ranges from 90 percent to 92 percent.
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June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 7
with older progeny-tested bulls.The solution is to use three
times as many bulls to spread the risk. If a dairy normally buys semen from fi ve progeny-tested bulls at a time, t h e p ro d u c e r should now buy the same number of total units, but spread the risk across 15 bulls instead.
Another option is to buy semen three times as often – instead of buying a six-month supply of semen from 10 progeny-tested bulls, change to a di� erent group every two months instead.
It’s a very simple strategy, but
in the end there will be faster genetic progress in the herd with no additional risk. Just focus on using groups of bulls whose average genetic merit meets the
dairy’s sire-se-lection goals.
Keep in mind that the supply of s e m e n f r o m young G-status bulls is less pre-dictable than for
older bulls. Instead of picking out specific bulls and hoping their semen is available, try to set the criteria for key traits and focus on fi nding bulls from sev-eral different sire families that meet those criteria.
The solution is to use three times as many bulls to spread the
risk. Another option is to buy semen three
times as often.
To learn more or to join PDPW, call PDPW at 800-947-7379 or go to www.pdpw.org.
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8 June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
RUTHIE AND KEITH BOLSEN
Silage avalanches are real.There is no way to predict
when and where they will occur. It only takes a fraction of a sec-ond for part of a silage face to silently break off and fall. And the result can be deadly for any-one located beneath it.
There have been numerous avalanche fatalities in the United States the past few years, and although rarely reported, we have heard many stories about near misses with silage avalanches.
SILAGE AVALANCHE TRAGEDIES
A Nebraska newspaper
reported the following fatal accident.
A 53-year old Norfolk, Nebraska, man died Oct. 21, 2013, in a feedlot accident. Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger said Matthew Winkel-bauer died after he was buried by a large silage pile that fell in an open silage pit at Four-Quar-ters Feedlot east of Norfolk.
Winkelbauer, who was the o w n e r a n d o p e ra to r o f Four-Quarters, was pronounced dead at the scene. A co-worker was seriously injured in the accident. The victim was stand-ing in front of the feedout face, which was about 15 to 18 feet high, and the avalanche pushed the falling silage more than twice that distance away from the face.
Jason Edward Leadingham was working alone Jan. 13, 2014, in a bunker silo when 10 to 15 tons of corn silage collapsed on him. Jason was a silage haul-back driver for Pirtle Farms LP of Roswell, New Mexico. Lead-ingham’s body was not recov-ered from the silage until about two and a half hours later; it was determined he died of mechan-ical asphyxia. There was a sam-ple bag near his left hip. He was clutching silage in his hands and had silage in his mouth, which suggest that Leadingham strug-gled to survive in the final moments of his life.
A Connecticut newspaper reported a South Windham man died March 24, 2015, after a pile of corn silage collapsed on him. According to police, the
accident happened when Don-ald Merchant, 54, was using equipment to remove corn silage from a bunker silo at Square A Farm in Lebanon. When Merchant climbed off the equipment, the silage top-pled on him. Other farm work-ers who dug him out found him unresponsive. He was taken to Windham Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 5:30 p.m.
Far too many bunkers and piles are just too large to be safe. It is not uncommon to have silage feedout faces that are 15 to 20 feet tall or taller. Common sense tells us that a silage face 20 feet to 22 feet high is much more dangerous than one that is only 10 feet to 12 feet high.
PREVENTING SILAGE AVALANCHE ACCIDENTS
We believe every dairy should have written safety policies and procedures for their silage pro-gram, and they should schedule regular meetings with all their employees to discuss safety.
Guidelines to decrease the chance of having a fatality or serious accident caused by a silage avalanche:
Silage avalanches: unpredictable and deadly
Never stand closer to the silage face than three times its height.
Ruthie Bolsen Keith Bolsen
See SILAGE, on page 10
June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 9
• Never allow people to approach the feedout face. No exceptions!
• A rule of thumb is never stand closer to the silage face than three times its height.
• Suffocation is a primary concern and a likely cause of death in any silage avalanche. Follow the “buddy rule” and never work in or near a bunker or pile alone.
• Bunker silos and drive-over piles should not be filled higher than the unloading equipment can reach safely. Typically a large unloader can reach a height of 12 feet to 14 feet.
• Use caution when removing plastic or oxygen-barrier film, tires, tire sidewalls or gravel bags near the edge of the feedout face.
• D o n o t r e m o v e s u r -fa ce - s p o i l e d s i l a ge f ro m
Do not remove surface spoiled silage from bunkers and piles that are filled to an unsafe height.
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10 June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
Silage can collapse without warning.
SILAGEContinued from page 9
bunkers and piles that are filled to an unsafe height.
• Use proper unloading tech-nique, which includes shaving silage down the feedout face.
• Never dig the bucket into the bottom of the silage. Under-cutting creates an overhang of silage that can loosen and tum-ble to the floor. This is a situa-tion that is quite common when t h e u n l o a d e r bucket cannot reach the top of an over-filled bunker or pile.
• Never drive the unloader parallel to and in close proxim-ity of the feedout face.
• When sampling silage, take samples from a front-end loader bucket after it is moved to a safe distance from the feedout face.
• Never ride in a front-end loader bucket.
• Never park vehicles or
equipment near the feedout face.• Avoid being complacent!• Always pay attention to
your surroundings and never think that an avalanche cannot happen!
• A warning sign, “Danger! Silage Face Might Collapse,” should be posted around the
p e r i m e te r o f bunker silos and drive-over piles.
R u t h i e a n d Keith Bolsen live in Austin, Texas. Ruthie has a degree in finance and has worked
the past 12 years in raising awareness of the opportunities for injury in silage programs. Keith is a Professor Emeritus of Cattle Nutrition in the Animal Sciences and Industry Depart-ment at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. Ruthie and Keith have co-authored a Silage Safety Handbook as well as numerous conference papers and articles about silage safety.
Suffocation is a primary concern and a likely
cause of death in any silage avalanche. Follow
the “buddy rule” and never work in or near a
bunker or pile alone.
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June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 11
Effective com-munity relations is more than an after-
thought. Activities must be planned, executed well and evaluated. To help producers in this quest, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin is offer-ing a workshop called “Your Farm’s Story: Building an Effec-tive Community Outreach Plan.”
The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 16 at PDPW headquarters, 820 N. Main St., Juneau, Wisconsin. The workshop will help produc-ers build positive reputations in their communities. Learn tac-tics that are part of effective community outreach, and how to assemble them into a plan that protects and enhances a farm’s reputation. In this
one-day session, producers will answer the following questions:
• What does my farm do well, and how can we make that known in the community?
• What are the key messages for my farm?
• Which tools or activities are best for engaging the public?
• Who are my partners in tell-ing my farm’s story?
• Which engagement activi-ties have worked for other farms?
• How do I measure success? Producers will leave the
workshop armed with a proac-tive outreach plan for their dairy, including the key audi-ences, messages, activities, tim-ing and expenses necessary to tell a farm’s story.
Visit www.pdpw.org for more information.
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MARY BAUEREau Claire Area OSHA
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administra-tion considers electrical hazards
o n e o f t h e “Focus Four” hazards that can potentially injure or kill workers.
Electricity is u se d ex te n -sively on dairy farms to power
key equipment in milking par-lors, manure-handling systems, barns and commodity sheds. Workers and animals are exposed to electrical shock along with fire risks that can cause property damage and livestock deaths.
When transporting elevated equipment such as conveyors and augers, employers must identify any overhead wires that can create a contact hazard –
starting with incoming power.Underground wires can be
contacted when digging. In Wisconsin, call Diggers Hotline – the utility one-call center – at least three days prior to digging. If the under-ground line is owned by the farm, a private locator may need to be hired to locate under-ground utilities. Typically wires buried between the transformer or meter and the buildings are not the responsi-bility of the power company.
One of the most common and most serious hazards is the lack of, or improper, electrical grounding. This is the leading contributor of stray voltage and a shock hazard to workers.
Electric utilities, electrical cooperatives and Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection work together to offer a cost-sharing farm-rewiring
program to reduce out-of-pocket costs for farmers. The programs require the work to be completed by a DATCP rewir-ing-program certified electri-cian; the finished work must also be inspected.
When a circuit breaker is tripped or a fuse blown, often the fix is to increase the amper-age of the circuit breaker or fuse. But this may be masking a serious hazard within the equipment or the circuit’s wir-ing. So before flipping the switch on again, take a moment to determine the root cause of the trip. The three typical causes are overloaded circuit, short circuit and ground fault.
A rigorous inspection pro-gram will help identify com-monly found electrical hazards
on farms:• E x t e n s i o n
cords used as a substitute for correctly fixing wiring;
• Broken-off ground pins on male-plug ends of equipment lead cords and extension cords;
• Damage and/or openings in
electrical boxes and face covers that allow contact with live parts and can allow dust into the box, which can create a fire hazard;
• Electrical panels with cir-cuit breakers missing, or not marked “spare,” and in the “on” position;
• Unapproved extension cords – using Romex or other brands of non-metallic wiring; employers must use heavy-duty cords marked SJ or SJO;
Avoid electrical hazards on the farm
This agitator in a manure pit — a wet and damp location — is incorrectly not protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet.
Mary Bauer
One of the most common and most
serious hazards is the lack of, or
improper, electrical grounding. This is the leading
contributor of stray voltage and a shock hazard to workers.
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June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 13
• Using electrical power strips for equipment that draws excessive amperage, causing fires. Power strips are good for low-amperage equipment like computers, printers and light fixtures. OSHA inspectors will look for heat-producing appli-ances such as microwave ovens, toasters, refrigerators, coffee-makers and other high-amper-age-drawing equipment incor-rectly plugged into power strips. Daisy-chaining power strips can also lead to electrical fires;
• Outlets not protected by ground-fault circuit interrupt-ers – GFCIs – used incorrectly for sump well pumps, wet loca-tions, outside outlets and next to sinks; and
• Reverse polarity on repaired cords and outlets.
Electrical hazards have signif-icant consequences for workers, animals and property, and can-not be ignored. Following
various electrical codes such as the National Electrical Code Article 547 for Agricultural S t r u c t u r e s a n d O S H A’s
requirements will significantly reduce the risk of shock or fires.
Additionally, employers need to follow electrical safe-work practices:
• De-energize electric equip-ment before inspection or repair;
• Keep electric tools properly maintained;
• Exercise caution when working near energized lines – stay at least 10 feet away; and
• Use appropriate protective equipment.
Proper electrical practices will help ensure the safety of work-ers.
Mary Bauer is the Eau Claire-area OSHA office’s compliance assistance specialist. Bauer has been with OSHA for 29 years and holds a Certified Safety Profes-sional and Certified Industrial Hygiene certification.
Exposed electrical conductors are a dangerous electrical hazard.
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14 June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line
AARON WUNDERLINUniversity of Wisconsin-Extension Discovery Farms
Runoff from feed-storage areas happens far more fre-quently than runoff from fields. Feed-storage areas consist of impervious surfaces, so there is
little chance for infiltration of precipitation water.
Runoff from these areas can contain leach-ate, which con-sists of nutri-ents and other c o m p o n e n t s
leached from the stored feed. No one wants this “hot stuff,” with the potential to negatively impact water quality, to flow toward area water resources.
One solution is to capture the runoff locally through a leach-ate-collection system. The trick is to capture enough to mitigate
the “hot stuff,” but not too much. Extra rainwater taking up precious space in the manure pit is both frustrating and unneces-sary.
So how can we maximize nutrient collection while mini-mizing unnecessary water cap-ture. The first step is to mini-mize the risk of nutrient loss altogether.
Harvest and store feed at proper moisture levels. The optimal moisture for corn silage is 65 percent to 70 percent, while haylage is slightly lower at 60 percent to 65 percent.
Protect silage from contacting water. Cover it, wrap side walls of bunkers and divert clean water. This includes litter or spoilage piles.
Remove litter and spoilage from pads. When rain contacts litter and spoil piles there is an increased chance for nutrient losses from feed-storage areas.
Capturing what’s hot in the feed-storage area
Aaron Wunderlin collects samples at a leachate monitoring site.
Aaron Wunderlin
Members of the Professional Nutrient Applicators Associationof Wisconsin, PDPW & DBA. Excellent working relationship withDATCP, DNR, and UW-Extension personnel.
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June 2015 • PDPW • Dairy’s Bottom Line 15
The next step is to fi gure out when to capture and redirect losses to a storage tank. This is a question that the University of Wisconsin-Extension Discov-ery Farms has been working to answer by collecting data from three Wisconsin farms during the past three years. The pro-gram is currently in the process of analyzing the data with pre-liminary fi ndings showing some unexpected results.
Current systems are designed to capture the runo� from the initial part of the event — also called “first flush” because of the commonly held belief that it contains the highest concentra-tion of leachate. However, this belief is based on studies
conducted in urban runo� envi-ronments.
Data collected from farm leachate-capture systems indi-cate the first-flush scenario rarely occurs in a farm runoff environment, unlike its urban counterpart. What the data does show is that during times of low fl ow, nutrient concentra-tions are the highest. Therefore systems should be designed to capture runoff during these periods of low flow and high nutrient concentrations.
As currently designed, sys-tems are not maximizing the amount of nutrients collected while minimizing the amount of water collected. There may be a better way to grab the
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biggest bang for the collection buck by changing the diver-sion timing. If we can achieve this it’ll be a win-win for water quality and manure storage.
UW-Discovery Farms is working closely with Dr. Becky Larson at UW-Madison to com-bine datasets and create clear suggestions for improving
system design. Keep an eye out for more results and in the meantime keep minimizing those losses.
Aaron Wunderlin , senior research specialist for UW-Dis-covery Farms, specializes in water-quality data analysis. Contact him at [email protected] for more information.