Introduction
The six year studied the benefits of treating retained animal nutrients with Healthy Farms products after 3 years when sludge had already been minimized. Deep Pit microbial treatment benefits with the Healthy Farms AgraSphere and AgraSlats over a three year time period has been well documented in the past. The results are higher value based nutrients, sludge reduction, increased capacity and improved liquification are consistently seen. Many producers have continued to use the products on a continuous bases and continue to see continual beneficial environmental conditions when compared to no treatments.
Methods
- 4 control barns and 6 AgraSphere treated barns with similar barn design, nutrition, genetics, and management and treated per labeled directions.
- Nutrient dollar amounts based upon commercial fertilizer at the time of fall sampling
Results
1. Total average increase was $1,928/year over the controls per 12000 head spaces or $4.82/ 1000 gallons of Slurry
2. Average Producer cost for 2 treatments per label direction is estimated to be $1.62/1000 gallons of slurry or $648/1200 head spaces
3. Total average return to producer was $1280/year on 1200 head spaces or $3.20 per 1000 gallons of slurry. This peaked to $2711 in the first 3 years but decline to $579 in year 4-6.
The study revealed the following trends in Micronutrients in treated over control barns:
1. Sulfur levels were increased in the treated barns by 50% over the controls
2. Calcium levels were increased slightly in the treated barns.
3. Magnesium and Manganese both increased ranging from 60% to 150%.
4. Iron levels remained stable but slightly increased.
5. Zinc and Copper Levels were slightly increased.