Using dried manure solids for bedding is becoming more common among U.S. dairy herds. It allows farms an alternative way to handle manure, and it can help offset bedding costs – a large expense on many dairy farms.

Dirty cows have a negative impact on milk quality, including greater chances of mastitis and a high somatic cell count (SCC). Dirty cows usually mean a dirty tail, and dirty tails can come from dirty stalls. Long tails are here to stay since the ban of tail docking. But thankfully, managing manure for cow hygiene is more automated than it’s ever been.

With agriculture and farming in his DNA, Rick Martens is operating a business from the farm that has been in his family for generations. Located 80 miles north of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the century-old dairy farm is no longer home to cows, but now serves as the home base for Martens Manurigation, a custom manure pumping business.

Nutrient losses from agricultural systems in the Mississippi River basin have contributed to the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2008, in response to this challenge, the EPA’s Hypoxia Task Force released an action plan for a national strategy to reduce, mitigate and control hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico and improve water quality in the Mississippi River basin (Hypoxia Task Force).

Instead of pointing fingers, a group of northeast Wisconsin farmers are raising their hands to acknowledge the local dairy industry’s part in groundwater issues and making a public commitment to solving the problem. 

“We really don’t have a nutrient problem; we have a water problem,” states Galen Smith, partner and general manager of Coldstream Farm LLC in Deming, Washington.

In 2002, Bragger Family Dairy became the first Discovery Farms Core Farm through monitoring efforts on two streams located on the farm. The dairy is located in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, which is known for its steep-sloped, hilled landscape.

Technology continues to push the dairy industry forward with bigger, better, more automated equipment – yet some old reliables are making a comeback. Manure gutter cleaners have existed for more than 60 years. They have stood the test of time thanks to their reliability, heavy-duty build and ability to adapt to changing farm needs.

Gypsum recycled from manufacturing and construction waste has gained popularity as a bedding source for the dairy industry. Its proponents cite affordability, increased moisture absorption, low bacteria growth and soil benefits as reasons for its use.

Most days your automatic scraper system chugs along in the barn, doing its job. Until it doesn’t. Then, it’s an emergency call to your dealer and extra shipping and service fees for replacement parts. All the while manure is building up, impacting cow cleanliness and milk quality.