The operator normally has to shift gears four times per bucket load while traveling in a forward/reverse/forward/reverse motion. However, it is not easy to do with a front-end loader. A skilled front-end leader operator can remove the manure and leave the compacted manure/soil layer. Therefore careful removal of the upper partially decomposed manure in unpaved lots is a critical step in groundwater protection.Ĭollection of manure should be designed to maintain a surface seal, to promote good drainage, and to collect a high quality product.

The compacted interfaced between manure and soil will function as a seal that prevents percolation and promotes anaerobic decomposition of nitrates. In an active feedlot, disturbance of the 3 inch to 4-inch layer of compacted manure above the soil should be avoided.

Lower nitrate values in the compacted zone and below may also be due to anaerobic (no air) conditions that lead to denitrification. Leaching of nitrates to groundwater is effectively controlled when percolation rates are that low. Compacted layers of manure and soil usually provide a seal to reduce water infiltration rates to less than 0.002 inches per hour. The compacted manure/soil layers immediately below has a density of 62 to 106 pounds per cubic foot. The density of the top manure layer is 40 pounds to 58 pounds per cubic foot. The surface of a feedlot is actually a series of layers due to density differences, including, from the surface down: Manure Layer, Manure Soil Layer, Compacted Soil. – Stephen Boyles, OSU Extension Beef Specialist

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