Manure production by dry and lactating Holstein cows in free-stall barn
2009
Yamada, A.(National Agricultural Research Center for Kyushu Okinawa Region, Koshi, Kumamoto (Japan)) | Zhang, J. | Aoki, Y. | Kawamoto, H. | Kobayashi, R. | Nonaka, K. | Kamo, M.
The feed consumption and waste (feces and urine) excretion for milking and dry Holstein cows in a free stall barn were measured at the site of the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science. TMR consumption by milking cows averaged 22.5 +- 1.5 kg/animal/day in dry weight; the collected waste averaged 64.1 +- 7.4 kg/animal/day in fresh weight and 8.8 +- 1.1 kg/animal/day in dry weight, with a moisture content of 86.3% (min. 85.0% to max. 87.5%). For dry dairy cows, TMR consumption averaged 10.6 +- 0.6 kg/animal/day in dry weight, while collected waste averaged 37.7 +- 3.5 kg/animal/day in fresh weight and 4.9 +- 0.3 kg/animal/day in dry weight, with a moisture content of 86.8% (min. 86.2% to max. 89.3%). Since the results of waste moisture content measurements for milking cows found in the present study were lower than the estimated figure for waste moisture content given in conventional livestock management manuals (approx. 90%), it appears that the volume of sawdust added to adjust for waste moisture levels for the composting process can be reduced by some 20%. Since working livestock farms rarely have significant spare capacity in either dairy waste or finished compost storage tanks and are compelled to make the most efficient possible use of the composting bulking agents purchased, we believe such farms would benefit by fully applying the results of the present study when estimating the moisture content of dairy waste in free stall barn manure management.
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