Freezing Manure

[Jonnyzebra]

I'm a small vegetable farmer hauling manure in a tow behind dump trailer. I am told the manure freezes and makes it difficult to dump in the winter. Any suggestions other than keep the trailer clean (like put something on the bottom before loading)?

 

[2458n]

Keep it in a pile and load only when you are going to spread. Horse manure and sawdust is pretty warm when kept in a pile.

 

[thatguy]

Im sure that it will freeze, since it has a high water content.. Why not put down a layer of straw/old hay in the bottom, that would keep it from sticking to the bottom

Brian

 

[oldnslo]

How far are you hauling it? If only ten or fifteen minutes and the manure is warm and fresh when loaded it shouldn't be an issue. If an hour or more freezing will be an issue and the moisture will soak through the straw and freeze also.

 

[Jonnyzebra]

Thanks for your advice. The situation is I get free manure and haul it every two days to compost. It going into a trailer the moisture collects and freezes like water on a bridge. I need to put something between the manure and the steel that won't absorb water.

 

[oldnslo]

memory is feeble but I faintly recall some company trying teflon or some thing like it on their factory made manure spreaders to reduce the freezing issues. Any of ya old timers recall this or is my part timers wrong again..

Roy

 

[QRTRHRS]

How big a trailer? Is the load small enough that you could throw a sacrificial tarp in the trailer then pull it away from the pile after you dump it?

I used to dump wheelbarrow loads of manure into a 330 bushel spreader then take it out when full and spread it. The only thing I had to do was watch the weather and tarp the load if it was going to storm. That and keep the chain properly tensioned. I learned that I needed to that the hard way. Trust me, that's a lot of manure to shovel out by hand. This was in northern PA.

My spreader had a vinyl floor and galvanized sides. While a little would stick to the sides, it never stuck to that floor. Like mentioned, manure in a pile does generate heat. The vinyl floor would be your best option. You can get sheet goods from place like Tek Supply.

 

[TRR]

Can you line the trailer with plastic sheets? Meaning is it practical to do? They are slippery and not much will stick to them.

PolyMax Board - FarmTek

 

[Jonnyzebra]

Thanks I think the plastic boards will work

 

[grsthegreat]

Freezing manure is known as a poopsicle here in North Idaho