Download: A Texas Dairy Farmer’s Guide to Manure Management
Manure on a dairy is a daily job and a regulatory subject. This explainer lays out the pieces of a manure management plan and gives you a build-your-own checklist, with pointers to the official agencies that carry the actual rules.
Why does manure management matter?
A milking herd produces a lot of manure, and it has to go somewhere. Handled well, it supplies nutrients to forage and cropland and lowers fertilizer bills. Handled poorly, it can pollute water and draw complaints.
In Stephenville and across Texas dairy country, the same rain that grows forage can move nutrients off a field, so timing and rates matter.
Good management starts with knowing how much you produce and where it can safely go.
What are the parts of a manure plan?
A plan covers collection, storage, treatment, land application and records. Each part should say who does what, when and how it is checked.
Build yours with this checklist:
Mark each field on a map with its soil test dates, last application and next planned application. A wall map or a spreadsheet works, as long as it is current and shared with whoever runs the spreader.
- Estimate of manure and wastewater volumes from your herd
- Storage capacity, inspection routine and maintenance notes
- Soil tests and crop nutrient needs for each field
- Application rates, timing, setbacks and weather rules
- Records of dates, fields, rates and equipment calibration
Which Texas agencies matter?
TCEQ is the state environmental regulator involved with animal feeding operations, so confirm whether you need a permit or authorization and what it requires. Rules depend on size and circumstances, and they change.
The Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offer ag-related information and education. Ask them what is current, and do not assume your neighbor's setup matches yours.
Check with your agency contact on setbacks from wells, streams and property lines, since those distances can differ by rule and by site. Do not guess, and write down what you are told along with the date and the name.
How do soil tests and nutrient math work?
Test your soil regularly and test your manure too, because nutrient content varies. Then match the rate to the crop's needs. More is not better, and extra nutrients can run off or leach.
NRCS offers conservation planning help and, depending on availability, cost-share programs. Ask your local office about current options and eligibility.
Calibrate your spreader. An uncalibrated machine can put out far more or less than you think, which throws off every nutrient calculation. Calibration takes an afternoon and pays back in cleaner records.
How do weather and timing change the plan?
Do not spread before heavy rain, on frozen or saturated ground or near water. Watch forecasts at the National Weather Service and keep spreading logs. A storm after a bad application can turn into a compliance problem fast.
Storage helps. Enough capacity lets you wait for the right window instead of spreading under pressure. The equipment side of this job is covered in this tractor and equipment guide.
Keep a small rain gauge on the farm and note totals in your log. Agencies and your own memory both benefit from local numbers, not a distant weather station reading.
How can manure become an asset?
Some dairies sell or share manure with neighboring crop farms. Written agreements, nutrient testing and clear responsibility for application are important. Ask your attorney to review any arrangement.
Others explore composting or solids separation to cut volume and odor. Costs vary, so run the numbers with your accountant and compare financing terms at places like Farm Credit, FSA and local banks. The money basics at this farm money guide can sharpen your questions.
Think about who else is affected by timing, such as school bus routes, community events and church. A call to a neighbor before a big spread goes a long way.
What else should you remember?
Keep good relations with neighbors, because odor and flies are what people notice. Share your plan if they ask and fix problems fast.
For a lighter read, farm.FM has dairy stories and satire and farm economics stories, plus a farm.FM story on dairy manure. This page is education only, and the agencies and your professionals decide what applies to you.
Hire a custom applicator only after checking their equipment, insurance and record keeping. You remain responsible for what happens on your fields.
Sources and further reading
- TCEQ: Texas environmental regulator
- Texas Department of Agriculture: state agriculture agency
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas extension service
- USDA NRCS: conservation programs and technical help
- National Weather Service: forecasts and warnings
- Farm Credit: cooperative agricultural lending network
Ask locally: Call TCEQ and your AgriLife Extension office, and ask an agronomist to help with soil and manure testing.