Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Is it Stinky?

Hello to all my new blog readers from Ms. Mimlitz's class!  I am anxiously awaiting all of your comments, so that I can use them to come up with new ideas to blog about.
To answer Corey's question:  Is it "stinky" working with all those animals?
Well, yeah, a little bit!  Just like anything else that doesn't know how to flush a toilet; like your dog, cat, or even babies, animals will create some smell at certain times.  As long as we do a good job of removing the "stinky stuff" (manure) from where the animals are, and storing it correctly, or applying it to the fields as fertilizer for our crops, we can keep the odor to a minimum.  We have a holding pond where all the manure from our milk cows is stored.  When I used to come visit Brent at the farm before we were married, I didn't even know it was there, as it forms a crust on top that keeps the odor in. 
As soon as it dries up, Brent will begin to apply the manure to our fields.



The "spikes" on the front that are attached to hoses actually go into the ground, and inject the manure directly into the soil, where the crops' roots will use it as fertilizer next spring.

He uses this equipment to pump the manure into the tanker, and then inject it directly into the soil.  The manure has nutrients in it that will help our corn grow to feed back to our cows.  So, the cows help grow their own food!
We do the same thing with the pigs.

A typical hog barn
You see, all the manure falls through the holes (or slats) to a concrete pit, where the manure is stored until we can apply it to the fields.  As soon as the crops are harvested, the crews will be out applying manure to grow corn to feed the pigs.
It all works in a big nutrient circle.
So, yeah, animals smell a little bit, but I don't mind!

6 comments:

  1. thanks for answering my qustion but another one do you ever get tired working that much
    Corey Ames School

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  2. Hi!!!!!!! It's Beck again I was also wondering how many hours of easy/hard work you do in a week or two and how much money for milk each week you get? Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Is it dirty and loud and tiring?
    HI, it's Paul

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  4. HI its Joshua from Mrs. Mimlitz's class i was just wondering how many animals do you have all together? And i think the blog that you wrote was funny!

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  5. Hi! It's Mollie from Mrs.Mimlitz's class! I'm wondering if you have any dogs or raise puppies on the farm. Bye!


    from:Mollie a/k/a dogs

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  6. Enrique
    are the pigs stinky and angry
    like
    in angry birds Mimlitz class do you eat at all so so do you please tell me how are you doing are you going to answer my last comment tell me so so well are you going to tell me.

    ReplyDelete

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