livestock manure
Ref: W07d

You might know this as animal pooh or dung. Farm Yard Manure (FYM) can be treated as a waste product or it can be applied to farmland as an organic fertiliser (W07b), but like other fertilisers if it ends up in watercourses in large quantities it can seriously affect the plant and animal life there.

Dirty water from Muck Heap

To stop the livestock manure being wasted and ending up in a nearby stream it is best to prevent it from mixing with water. On a farm rainwater should be diverted away from areas where livestock manure is collected to stop this from happening. An enclosed area could be used to contain the manure. In this way a farmer avoids waste and pollution.

When manure is moved from place to place on a farm some of it can be dropped and end up being washed into rivers and streams. A farmer might be able to make a reduction in manure lost this way by using trailers or pumps to move manure to a safe place instead of dumping it on concrete areas.

Manure in enclosed area	Cow pat - showing fly emergence (no paprasite treatment)

Manure Testing Kit

When using the livestock manure as a fertiliser (FYM) the farmer should make sure that the amount required has been correctly calculated. Having the soil tested for nutrients already there can help the farmer to work out the actual amount of fertiliser needed and therefore prevent waste.

By treating the livestock manure as organic fertiliser and not as waste the manure is being recycled (W11). Different animals eat different foods and produce different types of manure. These can be valuable fertilisers and understanding which manure is good for which crop can save money and produce better results.