Dairy producers have many duties to carry out in their dairy operations, one of which is storing, handling and applying manure. Manure handling can be a significant cost on most dairies even when considering the value of the nutrients in the manure. Seldom do producers consider their costs of handling and applying manure on a per hundredweight (cwt) of milk sold basis like they do with many of their other costs.

This project encompassed surveys of manure management systems and nutrient management practices on 22 Iowa Dairy Farms, including economic costs and returns. Key findings are that the cost of storing, hauling and applying manure averaged $306.13 per cow or $1.33 per / cwt. If we subtract the nutrient value of the manure applied (using book values and assuming perfect utilization) the net cost of storing, hauling and applying manure averaged $104.10 per cow or $$0.45 per / cwt. The tie stall barns had a cumulative cost per cwt. of $1.42; the mattress/waterbed barns had a cumulative cost per cwt. of $1.50; the 2 stage sand systems had a cumulative cost per cwt. of $0.97; the 1 stage sand systems had a cumulative cost per cwt. of $1.44; and the dried manure solid barns had a cumulative cost per cwt. of $1.24.