Manure drying, compost making, and commercial animal manure fertilizer are just three popular methods of disposing of animal manure. For any of these solutions to be efficient on a commercial scale, manure processing machinery is essential. There are many benefits to utilizing animal waste. It can help maintain soil fertility, increase soil nutrient levels, improve soil’s physical condition, control soil temperature, and increase the mineralization of applied chemical fertilizers to enhance crop uptake. Even at home, organic manure is often prepared through the following methods:
Pot composting
Vermicomposting
Eggshell composting
Bokashi
Manure Drying Methods and Equipment
Drying is a widespread disposal solution because not only does it significantly reduce the physical volume, but it reduces the odor. Both poultry and livestock manure can be dried using heavy-duty manure drying equipment.
Manure dryers also play an essential role in the production of organic, pelleted manure fertilizer. Fertilized manure is more convenient to store and transport once it has been dried and pelleted. Machinery used to dry and pelletize manure include:
Poultry manure dryers
Cow dung dryers
Chicken manure dryers
Rotary drum dryers
Dried manure granule production requires a high temperature for processing, as most manure dryers decrease the moisture in fresh manure by putting it into contact with hot air. Vital components of many manure drying machines include hot air furnaces, conveyor belts, and induced draft fans. After the manure has completed the drying process, many people utilize cooling equipment to make the dried manure fit for transport much quicker.
Manure Composting Methods and Equipment
With the focus more than ever on eco-agriculture, many farmers are converting livestock and poultry manure into compost, a bio-organic fertilizer.
When it comes to broiler chickens, they excrete approximately 0.14kg per day. Since chickens don’t absorb many of the nutrients in their feed, chicken manure is nutrient-rich. However, chicken manure cannot be used in other applications before it has been treated effectively to clear pathogens and parasites that may be present. Additionally, crops cannot directly absorb the uric acid in chicken manure.
Pigs excrete approximately 1.9kg stool per day, and similarly to chicken excrement, it’s nutrient-rich, particularly in potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Organic content accounts for approx. 20% of pig stool and the water content is approx. 70%, so drying and composting is key to remove excessive water. It can be mixed with other items of low water content such as leaves, branches, cut grass, straw, and sawdust, to help cut down on the energy used during the drying process.
To take advantage of the nutrient-rich animal waste, compost can be made using the following equipment:
Tumbler Composters
Compost Bins
Dual Body Composters
Aerated Static Piles
Turned Aerated Piles
In-Vessel Composting
Automated In-Vessel Composting
Commercial Fertilizer Production Equipment
If the end goal is to produce a commercial-grade organic fertilizer, several vital processes need to occur. The first step is to reduce the water content by dehydrating the manure, so it has a low moisture content suitable for composting. The composting step usually requires functional bacteria that are typically added when the manure is turned over during the composting process. After the bacteria has fermented, the animal waste needs to be pulverized into powder form using manure grinding machines.Once the manure has been pulverized, a mixer machine can mix the organic animal waste evenly, which improves the effect of granulation. It’s also possible to add more bacteria during the mixing process if the goal is to make bio-organic fertilizer. Manure may then be granulated using one of the following machines:
Disk pelletizer
Rotating drum pelletizer
Fertilizer granulator
Pellet mill
Additional machinery used at the end of the fertilizer production process includes automatic packing scales and manure bagging machines for convenient transport of the final product.