Animal Waste Management:

Objectives: To gain an understanding to why waste management is important To understand different types of waste disposeal To understand laws regarding waste disposal

Trends: Farms are increasing in size The amount of animal waste is increasing Farmers must find new ways to manage animal waste

Laws: Public Health Act. Environmental Management Act of 2005.

WHY IS WASTE MANAGEMENT Important? ‘Clean and green’ agriculture is now of increasing importance in the marketing produce, both domestically and overseas. Appropriate management of farm wastes can benefit farm by preventing: contamination impacting property value contamination of the land and water on your farm breeding sites for disease spreading mosquitos, pest animals and predators contamination of produce stock injury, disease or death offensive odours large penalties and clean-up costs from poor waste management.

If not managed properly, agricultural waste from farm operations can pollute the environment resulting in impacts to water quality and a general loss of aesthetics.   The degradation of water quality can impact adjacent waterways and groundwater both onsite and offsite.  This degradation reduces the ability of these resources to support aquatic life and water for human and animal consumption.  Nitrates, which are commonly associated with fertilizers and agricultural waste runoff, can seep into groundwater.  Well water contaminated with nitrates is hazardous to humans, particularly for infants, as it results in oxygen depletion in the blood.  As alluded to above, proper waste management can reduce operating costs associated with fertilizer application if managed properly.

Animal Waste management is Controlling: Odors dust flies rodents other nuisances

Factors in Animal Waste Management: Size of operation climate type of animal amount of money to invest direction of wind temperature

Confined system: Animal are kept in a barn or on a lot System requires high waste maintenance Labor or machines required to remove waste Waste is kept in a lagoon or spread directly on to the field

Un-Confined System: Utilizes pasture Waste is left on pasture Uses little barn space very low maintenance for animal waste removal

Manure as a chemical supplement: Chemical fertilizers are expensive today Manure is a supplement for chemical fertilizer Cheaper More environmentally friendly