As the harvest season approaches, fall field work and manure application will follow closely thereafter. During the manure removal process, our primary objective is to elevate the ventilation in your barns and keep you and your livestock safe and comfortable. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate and reach out to a Pipestone Management team member, we’re here to help.
General Manure Pumping Guidelines:
People should NEVER enter the building during agitation or pumping.
Agitation strategy
- Do not agitate until manure is at least 1 ft. below the lintels.
- Do not direct agitation nozzles towards walls or pillars.
- Stop agitating when bottom agitation nozzle is 6” below the manure surface.
- No or minimal agitation when pigs are less then 50 lbs.
- Tarp around pump to reduce or minimize this as a fresh air inlet into the barn.
- Make sure all heaters/furnaces are OFF.
- Shut feedline breakers off.
- Manual open inlets to 100%.
CFM requirements: A minimum of 30 CFM’s/pig is needed.
Tunnel Barn Ventilation Set Up:
Power actuated inlets
Cold weather – 85%
- Warm weather – 100%
Tunnel curtain
- Cold weather – Adjust curtain machine stops to allow a minimum of 6” open
- Leave tunnel curtain in AUTO
To achieve a MINIMUM of 30 CFM’s/pig this will require all pit fans ON & 36” wall fan.
Warm weather
- Run all pit fans & no less than 2 tunnel fans.
Continue to ventilate at elevated levels for 1-2 hours after pumping.
Natural Barn Ventilation Set Up:
Power actuated inlets: 100% OPEN
Run ALL exhaust fans ON.
Stir fans ON.
- Adjust so they are not in a downward directed.
Cold weather
- Curtains open a minimum of 6” and ALL exhaust fans ON.
Warm weather
- Open curtains. Run ALL exhaust fans.
Continue ventilating at elevated levels for 1-2 hours after pumping.
Goal: Reduce static pressure, to draw air in through inlets rather than through the pump outs.
By: Nick Fitzgerald, Business Development of Pipestone Management