Manure prices

[dfarms11]

Anyone know the value of manure? Or the amount of nutrients in it? I am talking cow/calf bedding packs and some feeder cattle packs. Well aged ones at that. I know some neighbors who have extra sitting in their pens and I was wondering if it was worth my while to clean their pens for them to spread it on my land. Would I even have to give them something in return? Its a close haul, like the next quarter.

[smcgrath76]

http://www.alsglobal.com/Environmental/Labs/Services.aspx?key=18

The ALS lab in saskatoon does Manure testing.

[silverback]

If it is full of weeds think twice.

[kato]

If you are willing to clean their pens, remember that you could be saving them a bundle in corral cleaning expenses, depending on how much manure you're talking about.

If someone came to our yard and offered to buy our manure and haul it away we'd think we won the lottery, even though we really do prefer to use it ourselves.

[smcgrath76]

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/field/news/croptalk/2005/ct_1105a6.htm

This is a link to average manure makeup from OMAFRA in 2005. they suggest a value of $6.75 per tonne in the first year and $2.75 in year's 2-4.
Total value $17.75 per tonne at 2005 prices. It would be higher now.

[wilagro]

What you gain in value of the fertilizer component will be offset by about 10 years of weed control expense. Worst of all, the weed mix may be not of your liking with some new ones that you presently are free of.

Been there...done that.

[DogPatch]

So if the manure has no value to a grain farmer, a cattle producer shouldn't have to pay for straw if he goes to all the work to get it off your fields then? Just think of all that trash you won't have to work in!

[dfarms11]

thanks for your comments. I talked to a guy from alberta ag yesterday, and he said that at todays fert prices there would be about $20/tonne according to literature. He did refer me to another guy who he said is the manure guru there. Haven't had a chance to call him yet though. I don't believe that it would cost me $20/tonne to haul it onto the field. I figure it costs me about $20/spreader load at "cost", or $35/spreader at custom rates. The only thing is I am not sure of the weight my spreader loads are. I would think that they would be well over 2 tonne though, which would give me at least $40 per load of fertilizer.

Now as for the weed content, yes I never thought about that. That could be another issue all together.

[kato]

We use manure on our hay a lot, and weeds haven't been an issue there. It sure grows hay though!

[grassfarmer]

I don't know about spreading on crop land (weed issues) but I think it would be well using on pasture or hay land. We inherited literally thousands of tons of old manure when I moved here that has all been spread now. We should have had it tested for nutrient/organic matter value before spreading as some was so old I'm convinced it had just turned back into regular black soil. Most of it was worth the cost of spreading on organic matter value alone, the nutrients were a bonus. I think it would be a good deal to remove your neighbor's manure - and I wouldn't offer to pay for it.

[DogPatch]

Thats the beauty of bale grazing in the winter. You set the bales out, cows eat, crap and everything is right there in the field. You don't need to start the tractor in the winter, and you certainly don't have the cleaning bill!

[grassfarmer]

I'm all for feeding out on the pasture dogpatch but what's the breakeven price for hay for this system to be viable? I see people are asking a lot more for hay this year, whether they are getting higher prices remains to be seen. At what hay price do bale grazers fire up their tractors again (most have one already sitting in their yard) and start feeding their winter forage through feed rings, troughs etc out on the pasture? I even know some guys that have feed rings AND a tractor parked in their yard so they can follow the fashion of "bale grazing"

[DogPatch]

I don't really know that answer. Feeding with the bale feeders on the fields will certainly save a lot of feed. The big bill saved in either case would the cleaners bill and the R&M in the pens from confined feeding of our cows.