Waste Handling for Swine Production

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Waste Handling forSwine Production

• Lori Marsh, Associate Professor, Biological
  Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech

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Swine Production
Swine production is most commonly accomplished
indoors. Typically farms specialize in one of
four production strategies Breeding/Gestation F
arrowing Nursery and Grow out.
Farrowing Sows with piglets, shortly after birth.
Piglets in a nursery room.
Swine in a grow out room.
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The manure handling system for swine production
typically depends on the climate where the
facility is located. In warmer climates, pigs
are most commonly raised on slatted floors with a
shallow pit below. Manure falls into the pit and
is flushed out to a lagoon. The lagoon serves as
an anaerobic treatment unit.
Typical lagoon for treating swine manure.
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The liquid fraction of the lagoon is pumped out
and land applied throughout the growing season.
Typically, sludge is allowed to accumulate in the
lagoon for several years before it is removed.
Lagoon effluent being applied to a pasture.
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In cold climates, lagoons do not function well.
In this case, swine are typically raised on a
slatted floor over a deep pit. Manure is stored
in the pit until it is land applied.
Application of manure pumped from a storage pit.
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Some swine are produced on an open lot or on
deep pack. This represents a small percentage
of pork production.
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Waste storage on deep pack is inside the
building. Removal occurs at the end of the grow
out period. The potential for composting this
material is high.
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BMPs for Feed Management

• Applies to all production systems
• Phase feeding to match nutrient requirements for
  growth stage
• Use high-quality, highly digestible feeds
• Lysine and other amino acids in diet allow
  reduction in protein (and nitrogen)
• Minimize loss of feed/uneaten feed
• Phytase to reduce added P and excreted P

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BMPs for manure storage

• Adequate size
• Keep rain water outcover if economically
  feasible
• Manage deep pits to minimize gas concentrations
  inside barn
• Stock pile manure on impervious surface
• Contingency plans for accidents/overflows

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BMPs for Lagoon Systems

• Adequate size
• Proper start up
• Maintenance of embankment (vegetative cover, no
  trees, no rodents) including frequent inspections
• Fresh water diversion
• Pump and pipe maintenance/inspection
• Markers to show waste level relative to freeboard
  and treatment volume

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BMPs for Land Application

• Nutrient management plan
• Agitate manure storage
• Record keeping
• Calibrate application equipment
• Buffers and setbacks
• Time application to meet crop needs
• Incorporate or inject

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Manure Treatment Options

• Liquid-solid separation systems
• Composting
• Anaerobic lagoons
• Anaerobic digesters
• Constructed wetlands
• Emerging technologies, i.e. environmentally
  superior technologies--North Carolina Waste
  Management Center

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Constituents of Concern

• Nutrients (many references)
• Pathogens (holding at 25 C for 90 d rendered
  manure pathogen free)
• TatYee, G. and R.A. Holley. Pathogen survival in
  swine manure environments and transmission of
  human enteric illness-a review. 2003. J. of Env.
  Quality. Vol. 32, NO. 2, pp. 383-392.
• Medicinal drug residuesNo references found.