Guidelines for Establishment and Operation of Cattle Feedlots in ...

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should be incorporated into the soil within 4 days of closure of the feedlot for winter, and a crop planted in that paddock. 10.7.1 Stockpiling Manure Applications of manure to agricultural land should match cropping, rainfall and other agronomic factors. In South Australia this usually means that the manure is spread on cropping land just prior to the break of the season before the crop is planted. However, pen cleaning operations are carried out on a regular basis, which means that the manure must be stored until it can be used. All storage of manure should be within the controlled drainage area of the feedlot. The manure stockpile will commonly be used to store manure from pen cleaning, sludge from the sedimentation system and storage lagoon, spilt feed cleaned from feed bunks, roadways and feed preparation areas, and sediments from drains. During storage the materials in the stockpile will begin to decompose, which will reduce the total amount of material which will need to be spread later, and will also change the composition and balance of nutrients. After several months of storage the weight of manure which remains may be reduced by up to 40%. The nitrogen content will be reduced due to conversion to gaseous forms which are lost to the atmosphere, but the concentration of other non-volatile nutrients such as phosphorus will increase. Depending on the length of time the manure is stored and the internal temperatures reached within the stockpile, significant numbers of weed seeds and pathogens may be killed. The addition of manure to the stockpile is best done at between 25 - 35% moisture content and the manure should be placed in layers using a bulldozer or wheeled loader. This should ensure adequate compaction as the stockpile is being formed. Poor compaction will allow air to enter the stockpile. If oxygen is able to enter a stockpile the heat produced during decomposition may cause the stockpile to ignite spontaneously and burn. Manure stockpile areas should be established within the feedlot controlled drainage area and with a regular 1 - 3% slope. The foundation of the area should be prepared to the same specifications as the feed pen foundation, and the surface should be finished with a layer of compacted gravel to ensure all weather access. The manure stockpiles should be constructed up and down the slope of the area, not across the slope. This will assist drainage. 10.7.2 Composting Composting needs development approval from the planning authority. See section 3.3.10 for more details. Composting of manure and other organic wastes will convert the materials into a valuable soil conditioner which can be used on the feedlot property or sold. Composting has the potential to cause environmental harm if it is not located, designed and operated properly. Where management of feedlot manure or disposal of carcases involves processing by composting, the compost site should be within the feedlot controlled drainage area. If it is established at a different location it will need its own controlled drainage area and effluent management system. It is recommended that the composting is done to the Australian Standard SA 4454.2003. 10.8 Effluent And Manure Utilisation There are a number of water resource protection policies which relate to the utilisation of effluent. Controls for the use of effluent are Guidelines for Establishment and Operation of Cattle Feedlots in South Australia, 2 nd Edition 45
Under the Water Resources Act 1997 "…a person must not undertake…using effluent in the course of carrying on a business in a catchment area at a rate that exceeds the rate prescribed by the plan". This means that all persons undertaking schemes to use effluent in the course of carrying on a business in a prescribed water resources area will need to obtain a permit. All effluent used will be metered, and a monitoring bore must be installed into the upper aquifer for observation of nutrient and water levels. Spreading effluent heavier than 1 kilolitre per hectare may require a permit. Check the details for your area with the relevant Catchment Management Board. Penalties for offences are $5,000 for a person or $10,000 for a body corporate. If the EPA suspects on reasonable grounds that an activity is causing or is likely to cause environmental harm the Authority may require the person carrying on that activity to undertake a monitoring and reporting programme. The objective of feedlot waste utilisation is to employ crops, pastures and soils to effectively utilise or assimilate the nutrients, salts, organic matter and water in the wastes in a sustainable manner. The essential features of a sustainable waste utilisation system are nutrients are not leached below the active root zone of the crop or pasture. This prevents contamination of groundwater resources. dissolved or suspended contaminants are not transported from utilisation areas to watercourses. This prevents contamination of surface water resources. effluent and manure are not applied excessively. This prevents the degradation of the chemical and physical properties of the soil which lead to nutrient overloading, salinisation, sodicity, acidification, erosion, poor infiltration and waterlogging. the productivity of the land used for waste utilisation is enhanced neighbouring landholders are not subjected to odour and dust nuisance because of poorly timed and managed waste application practices. Guidelines for Establishment and Operation of Cattle Feedlots in South Australia, 2 nd Edition 46
Page 1 and 2: GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AN
Page 3 and 4: GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AN
Page 5 and 6: 15. Environmental Management ......
Page 7 and 8: 2 DESCRIPTION OF A FEEDLOT 2.1 Defi
Page 9 and 10: 3 APPROVAL PROCESS 3.1 Under curren
Page 11 and 12: application. 3.3.7 The Council shou
Page 13 and 14: 4 PLANNING PRINCIPLES 4.1. Cattle f
Page 15 and 16: developer as future change of land
Page 17 and 18: The Environment Protection Act 1993
Page 19 and 20: 6.2.4 Summary of Environmental Legi
Page 21 and 22: 7 MONITORING AND REPORTING 7.1 Gene
Page 23 and 24: 8 SITE PREPARATION & PEN FLOOR MANA
Page 25 and 26: suitable roller. For feedlots built
Page 27 and 28: used to determine allowable cattle
Page 29 and 30: 96 week 7 cattle at average 417 kg
Page 31 and 32: Topographical features of the selec
Page 33 and 34: when all the cattle are at turnoff
Page 35 and 36: Solid and liquid waste disposal to
Page 37 and 38: 9.5 Odour Assessment Using Odour So
Page 39 and 40: 10 MANAGING LIQUID AND SOLID WASTES
Page 41 and 42: Table 11 Characteristics of Sedimen
Page 43 and 44: To prevent scouring of the inlet in
Page 45: liner is 450 mm Clay lining materia
Page 49 and 50: 11 WATER SUPPLY Cattle must have ac
Page 51 and 52: 12.4 Dust Control Dust generally sh
Page 53 and 54: 13 ANIMAL HEALTH REGULATIONS Cattle
Page 55 and 56: identifying the site risk, pens mos
Page 57 and 58: when conditions become cooler and c
Page 59 and 60: 14.3.2.2 Cattle Behaviour During ho
Page 61 and 62: FL08 - FL13, December 2002. Contact
Page 63 and 64: up, may result in increased humidit
Page 65 and 66: This product contains restricted an
Page 67 and 68: Address relevant issues from the fo
Page 69 and 70: 17 ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES While the f
Page 71 and 72: 20. NATIONAL FEEDLOT ACCREDITATION
Page 73 and 74: 21. REFERENCES, FURTHER READING AND
Page 75 and 76: • operational timetables • sepa
Page 77 and 78: waste application area. 5.2 Drainag
Page 79 and 80: APPENDIX 2 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS F
Page 81 and 82: o Hydraulic loading limits to ensu
Page 83 and 84: Standard Feedlot Operational Specif
Page 85 and 86: APPENDIX 4 WATER PROTECTION AREAS O
Page 87 and 88: APPENDIX 5 - PRESCRIBED AREAS AND W
Page 89 and 90: APPENDIX 6 - TYPICAL FEEDLOT LAYOUT
Page 91 and 92: Guidelines for Establishment and Op
Page 93 and 94: fencing to reduce the potential for

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