Air-Powered Manure Transfer Pit

Air-Powered Manure Transfer pit MANURE HANDLING Equipment 10-5-9 "It cost just $1,500 but does the job of a new $10,000 system," says Ronald Mandrell, Erhard, Minn., who built an air-blast manure transfer pit to move manure by air to his lagoon during winter months. Mandrell poured a 6 by 6 by 6-ft. concrete pit at the end of his dairy barn and positioned below his barn cleaner. The top of the pit is sealed by a metal disc that he cranks into place from the inside with a steering wheel crank. The pit is pressurized by three air hoses that feed out of a small air compressor. One air hose comes up from the bottom of the pit to agitate it, one simply acts as a vent in case the pit door should ever need to be opened, and the other pumps in air at about 12 psi, which Mandrell says is plenty to force all the manure out the 16-in. dia. PVC outlet pipe to the lagoon in minutes. The lagoon is located about 100 ft. from the barn. "We use it only in the winter. During the summer manuredrains away to the lagoon without air. We've got about 28 milk cows and it takes about 2 days to fill the pit. We've used it for 5 years," says Mandrell, who spent $1,500 for cement, PVC pipe, and air compressor. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ronald Mandrell, Rt. 1, Erhard, Minn. 56534 (ph 218 736-6482).

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