How-to: Turn Farm Slurry into Hygienic Cattle Bedding

The HBC Biocell is an innovation, providing comfortable and hygienic bedding from slurry. Slurry management on farms represents a costly outgoing along with the cost of acquiring bedding. Separators ensure the separation of the solid and liquid fractions in manure this is followed by treatment of the solid fraction to produce bedding material. The equipment utilises aerobic processes, capable of raising the internal temperature to between 60 and 70°C, these temperatures ensure that the bedding is sanitized and therefore hygienic bedding is produced.

WHAT IS THE HBC BIOCELL AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

The HBC machine consists of a chamber for the stabilisation process, a mixing system, air injection fan, steam extraction fan, temperature sensors (for process control), load cells (for process control) and an electronic control system. The machine takes the solid fraction of manure and through aerobic processes turns this into veterinary approved bedding.

The manure is collected into a tank containing a mixer and chopper pump, the pump feeds a screw press separator, which produces a solid fractions for input into the HBC machine. The screw press separator, separates the solid and liquid fractions, resulting in a percentage of dry matter of about 35%. The HBC machine dries and hygienises the solid fraction present in cattle manure. A stabilisation process inside the machine hygienises the material and reduces bacteria. The process is aerobic, achieved by mixing the material with simultaneous air insufflation. The output of the matter from the HBC machine has a percentage of dry matter around 40% which can be directly used as bedding for cattle.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING THE HBC BIOCELL?

The HBC biocell is an economic machine, by using the solid waste for bedding as opposed to traditional bedding methods (Straw etc.) return on investment is achieved in 4 to 5 years.

For example:

A dairy farm with 1000 cows spends approximately £50 per cow per year, this equates to £50,000 spent on straw per year.

The HBC Biocell has a one off cost of approximately £140,000* for the HBC equipment, it then has a running cost of £22,000. The difference between the traditional bedding yearly costs is £50,000 minus £22,000 which equals £28,000. Therefore the initial set up cost of £140,000 divided by the difference in yearly costs between traditional method and HBC method which is £28,000 equals a return on investment of 5 years.

A high quality bedding is produced from the HBC Biocell this is ensured by the electronic control system on the machine. The bedding produced is veterinary approved ensuring healthy livestock and is proven to improve milk production.

The HBC biocell provides an economic way to manage manure, the manure is already separated into liquid and solid fractions and the amount of manure to handle is reduced because there is no traditional bedding material.

Further to this less storage is needed as the hygienized solid is readily available to suit requirements, therefore there is no need for an additional warehouse as with traditional bedding. In addition to this the HBC is relatively small in its dimensions and is extremely compact, therefore making is easy to manoeuvre and install.

For more information on the HBC Biocell please call our friendly agricultural team on +44 (0) 1630 647200, email agrienviro@ttpumps.com or complete our online enquiry form.

*Please note these costs are estimations and costs vary for each application.