Here's What To Look Out For When Choosing Manure Separators

Manure separation is an important part of dairy farm management. It involves the removal of inorganic and organic substances from a mixture of animal manure, process-generated wastewater, and open-lot runoff. That helps reduce total slurry waste storage volume, daily volatile solids loading, and lagoon treatment volume. Various machines are used in manure separation, including rotary screens, screw presses, roller presses, waves, and daily air flotation (DAF) systems. Before buying one, consider the needs of your farm and seek advice from a professional dealer to know which one will serve you diligently. Below is an overview of some key factors to consider when purchasing manure separation equipment. 

Maintenance, Running Costs, and Life Expectancy 

Like purchasing other machinery, getting value for money should always be your primary concern. Before settling on a manual separator, one of the first questions you should ask is about its power consumption, the level of maintenance required to maintain optimum performance, and the expected lifespan. For instance, if you have a large herd and farm, choose a separator with less power consumption and minimal maintenance to avoid skyrocketing energy bills and frequent downtimes. Also, ask if the separator comes with a clean-in-place (CIP) which makes cleaning easier and enhances productivity. On the other hand, if you aren't dealing with a huge chunk of manure, you can go for one that requires manual cleaning with the pressure washer for affordability purposes. 

Types of Bedding Materials 

Building materials refer to undigested food fibers such as wood chips, sand, shredded paper, sawdust, and hay that can be sorted from manure to create animal beddings. Manure separators perform differently depending on the animal beddings they're dealing with. For instance, screw press systems are suitable for soft bedding materials such as sawdust, shavings, and chop straw. On the other hand, roller press separators function well with sand and abrasive beddings. Inform the dealer about the bedding your animals use to help choose the most appropriate type of manure separator. Other separators, such as rotary screens, are versatile and compatible with abrasive and soft beddings. 

Herd Size Suitability

Another critical factor to consider when choosing a manual separator is the volume of manure your farm produces, depending on the size of your herd. That helps to know whether the equipment can handle your farm's needs without unnecessary delays or breakdowns. Manure separators come in different models and sizes depending on their cubic meter per hour rating, which is the unit for measuring volume flow rate when processing both liquid and solid manure. The higher the flow rate, the better the speed and the larger the machine's capacity.

To explore options for separators, visit a manure separation equipment wholesaler.