Sand-Manure Separator (17)

[@boerauke]

Congrats with the baptism of your son and nephew!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@nyotauhura7412]

Congrats to your family on the new babies!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@ericjenjohnson]

Wow! I am not a dairy farmer but am really interested in these types of operations. I Had no clue something like this existed. Your right it is pretty complex but wow it does a great job! Thanks for sharing!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thanks for watching!

[@thamimadlala2980]

Great video Piet. I am designing a digester/biogas system for one of our clients and we are going to be implementing the McLanahan system. Its very helpful to see this system in action.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@beebop9808]

That's a hoot. Pretty much how a conventional sewage plant works minus the gnarly little rotifers munching away at the phosphates in aeration basins. Imagine all that sand is rough on the head end equipment. I like that little baby centrifuge there at the end. It's so cute. :)

[@erwinraaben55]

Thanks for sharing this Piet. I know all the issues you had in the beginning, hope it works less troublesome than back in the days when you had to learn everything. Great addition of the manure separator and reusing the liquid from it.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

I'm glad we stuck with it, but there were definitely times in the first few years we considered other options.

[@calpeters2818]

Excellent video with great explanation how the system works.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@rusty9959]

Its the small things in the world that keep it going... Very cool video

[@chuckg9805]

Clear as manure, great job on explaining. Thanks

[@rothfarms]

Pretty awesome 🎉❤😊

[@RealJohnWayne]

Hey there Piet, I hope you're all well and good! Reclamation/Recycling projects such as your sand separation system are unfortunately economically prohibitive for most operations, and truth be known, quite possibly everyone. I applaud you for your efforts, and hope this massive undertaking is sustainable. I hope y'all have a good one! 🐂👍🇺🇸

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thanks, it works well for us!

[@davidkimmel4216]

God Bless both of your Families. 🙏🙏🙏😇😇😇

[@coryjenson937]

Impressive setup and great walk-through of the system!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@robdavis331]

Pretty neat set up. Bet it wasn't cheap. Enjoyed the video!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@tommyhartman]

I don't know how you can make money with such high capital cost. Very impressive system and great management.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

With the savings in purchased bedding this system pays for itself in 2 to 3 years.

[@BowzKnows]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 oh wow that is impressive!

[@robcooper5813]

Great system and well explained.

[@craigh8810]

Thanks Piet. Very interesting

[@johnnydale6515]

Piet this was a very interesting video , thank you , great work

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@johnloken1445]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@BRPFan]

Wow looks very expensive! Thanks for the video!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thanks for watching!

[@BRPFan]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 I look forward to watching all your videos! I was a mechanic at a farm equipment dealership and then later on I was in the service office as a Service Writer, Warranty Admin…

[@michaelcaputo3648]

Good video Piet! Thanks

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@matthewgorman1307]

That is an amazing system sask dutch kid requires this system .

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

It works well for us. What I always find interesting in farming is that there isn't one right way to do it, you have to do what works for your farm!

[@kopenhagenkid]

Great video

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@barbeonline351]

Thank you. What sand loss do you experience? The system seems nicely engineered given your revisions--impressive, in fact. But what amount of sand slips through? The advantages of your sand system, besides health and comfort of the animals, certainly includes saving the cost of constantly buying replacement bedding and minimizing the volume of the waste stream. So how effective are you at returning the sand back as bedding? And nice to see that "family" rates first mention in the video. Congrats.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We are recovering 98-99% of sand with this system.

[@justinwenzel8459]

thst was very interesting thank you.

[@geraldfrench3287]

There is a lot of wear points in that building. So that sand is put back in free stalls 24 hours after the separation? Thanks.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We will put it back in the stalls after at least 12 hours

[@stevenmens5479]

Hi Piet, I have some questions popping up. Why did you choose for an auger and does it wear out often? Is it one auger being 300 feet long and does it ever get frozen? How does the maintenance of the system look like? Did you ever think about using the flush flume or would that not work very well with the system you have in place? I think you used to have straw in the heifer barn? Would some straw in the manure be a problem for this system? Thanks for the great video and a very nice setup!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Good questions, I will answers these in Sundays video!

[@nopenope5203]

So you did pretty good explaining most of the stuff, but I wanted to ask about the sand in particular. From what I understood, you separate the sand from the manure and it gets augured out into those piles to dry? There isn't another step in between coming out of the manure and landing in those piles for sanitation? Not critiquing, but having come from the farm life (Tomatoes and bell pepper) I have some experience with the insane amount of work that goes into making sure our product stays uncontaminated. From washing hands at the start of picking, before/after lunch, and at the end of picking. Always wearing gloves when coming in contact with the produce. and in particular cordoning off a 5 foot area where we aren't allowed to pick produce if we find any animal droppings on the plants or plastic (Bird droppings had leniency but anything like hogs deer or raccoons we were careful about). I say all this just to highlight the level of paranoia us farmers have to deal with around our product since it is meant for human consumption and express my curiosity as to why this isn't as much of a hassle when it comes to your own cattle (I'm 98% sure that you probably have similar levels of paranoia when it comes to the milk itself though. lol you probably go so far as to sanitize the udders themselves XD)

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

One of the main reasons we use sand as bedding on our farm is because it doesn't hold bacteria like straw or wood shavings do even after being separated and reused. We have a specific routine when we are milking our cows which includes using a pre milking teat dip to remove any bacteria on the cows teats and a post milking teat dip to protect her teats from bacteria. Every load of milk is tested for bacteria and quality on the farm and again at the milk processing plant to ensure the quality of milk meets standards set by the FDA and by the milk processor. In video 13 I talk about how important milk quality is to me and our farm, a big part of reaching our quality goals is the use of sand bedding.

[@darrendimitroff4988]

I enjoyed the video

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you!

[@cdmcl3]

sand seems practical for rather large operations. generally, can sand be used in much smaller operations? i'm guessing that conservation of water and other stuff is worth a trade-off as for modest added energy for process loops, right? but then, there's more equipment, etc. also, do you use (expensive?) additives to minimize corrosion and friction, etc.? yes--am trying to understand if only large operations can use sand, etc. thanks for all your great uploads! oh! and congrats about all the brand new family members!

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

I think it would work on smaller operations but it could be more difficult to justify the upfront cost of equipment. Our sand manure separators are mid size, there is a larger size and a smaller size available I believe. We don't use any additives to minimize wear, but some of the high wear points are rubber lined or have polyurethane bushings to increase longevity. Thanks for the question!

[@dereksweeney6098]

Great channel for the dairy industry! Not sure how I came across your videos but this was the first one to show up. I Grew up on a dairy farm and worked for a GEA dealer before becoming a hoof trimmer. Do you find the sand gets course after being separated? Sand is great for cows but definitely has its challenges.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thanks you! The sand we use is fairly course to start with, I think that is why our separation system works well. Course sand is easier to separate and dry.

[@rypkepaulusma]

Gefeliciteerd met het dopen! Do you ever have problems with the bearings on the augers? The sand must be hard on them. The operation looks a bit more complicated/sophisticated than what SaskDutchKid has shown us.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Dank je wel! The bearings are designed to handle sand and manure, we do keep a close eye on them and replace if needed. There is a lot going on, but this system is working fairly well for us.

[@boerauke]

The seperatorroom has a lot of equipment, maintenance and needs a lot of electicity. Would it not be more simple to use just a sandlane eg? Just keep it simple?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Good question, I will discuss this in Sundays video!

[@rodneymacfarlane1707]

hi good video thanks what cyclone pressure do you aim for cheers

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

The gauge gets plugged up so we're more looking at the discharge to see if we are set right. I've been told we should be around 10 psi.

[@gertjacobus650]

Hi Piet, hope you are well? Very nice setup you have. Can you please tell me what the moister % is of the dry solid manure as it comes out of the manure separator?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

It's been a while since I tested the dry matter but typically between %25 and %30.

[@84kspa]

Is there any problem with using parlour/tank water with reamins of milk to clean your sand? Impressive setup :)

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We haven't had any problems, the amount of milk in the waste wash water is very minimal.

[@dariogonzalez6249]

congratulations to you & your fam,why not make Methanol?you have most important items just a little more investment..Thanks for showing us a great success video.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Thank you! We're looking into capturing the methane from the manure, but current market conditions don't make it feasible for us at the moment.

[@jaspergrootkoerkamp9559]

Hi Piet, do you know the nitrogen content in the manure after removing the sand? Do you lose a lot of nitrogen/ammonia to the air?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Available N in our manure is usually around 17 to 18 lbs per 1000 gallon. We likely lose some, but that should be minimal.

[@regalosychollos6447]

Amazing! What percentage of recovery do you think you have? Wouldn't it be convenient to use some kind of "hot chamber" to sterilize the sand?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Based on the amount of sand we purchase every year I think we recover about 98 to 99%. A bedding dryer is an option that's available, it may be something we look at in the future.

[@beltedcowz]

What’s the average temp now I’m in New England and it’s 22 degrees look a heck of a lot colderthere

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

The last few days have been around 32F highs during the day, we did have a 5 day cold stretch last week where highs were all below 0F.

[@dmfreem]

What do you think the payback or savings is per year with the sand separator?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Looking at separating and reusing vs buying new sand all the time, it pays for itself in 2 to 3 years. Comparing to other types of bedding is a bit more complex because it's difficult to put an exact value on added cow comfort and cleanliness. I think it still pays for itself within 3 years comparing to other bedding types of bedding.

[@mikesfarmmikesfarm3977]

how much does it cost in electricity per day or month to run this separator room ?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Roughly figuring around $40/ day, I'd have to look into it closer to get an exact number.

[@danvannette]

Why did you go with a Screw press instead of a rotary or slope screen? Seems that the Doda would struggle to keep up with the volume? How many cows are you processing?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We originally had a slope screen for probably 3 or 4 years but the liquid manure that would go to the sand separators would be very inconsistent. We really needed 2 or even 3 slope screens but we are limited for space in this building. The same goes for the rotary drums, I looked into those and was told we would need 3 of them to have enough liquid for our 2 separators. The doda doesn't process all of our manure, the main reason we put it in was for consistent liquid to go to our sand separators. The doda provides enough liquid for our 2 sand separators together with waste water from our parlor.

[@sehamhart8750]

😊

[@djidji12]

Would be good for @SaskDutchKid

[@DoCoolStuff]

One video I sure am glad there is not smellavision!

[@russellehler6706]

How strong is the odor in the sand separation room?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

I'm used to it, but that building probably has the strongest manure smell.

[@waynebohannon]

Was your farm an already operating dairy farm when you purchased it?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

No, we built everything here.

[@benullmann6915]

Is the manure room heated in the winter time?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Yes it is, I don't think we could get the sand separated very well if it wasn't above freezing in this building.

[@craigflatley7370]

👍

[@joselucca2728]

Is this a 24/7 operation or does it run for a specific amount of time?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

This runs about 20 to 21 hours per day.

[@roar40s]

Eet je net als Jan ook Brinta voor je ontbijt?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Ik heb dat nog nooit op gehad!

[@lorengolliher2712]

Do you guys just use pure sand or do you throw some lime in there too or is it just pure sand

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

It is just pure sand.

[@lorengolliher2712]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 and no mastitis problems that's interesting thank you for all your information I enjoy your video very much

[@rescuecow90]

How many gallons of slurry a week do you produce?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Roughly around 450,000 gallons.

[@johnlynch102]

What percentage of sand do you recover?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

We are recovering around 99% of the sand.

[@ryangemser3290]

That’s a lot of moving parts just for sand nice set up though

[@timothymoore5762]

Piet.....how much of your total purchased sand gets reclaimed? thanks

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Based on the amount of new sand we purchase every year I think our recovery rate is about 98-99%.

[@timothymoore5762]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 thanks for the reply I enjoy your videos and admire your operation

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

@@timothymoore5762 Thank you!

[@bakhtiyorlatipov5230]

Hello

[@DaleB809]

I bet your electricity bill is huge. Is it worth the expense Thank you Winnipeg Manitoba Canada 🇨🇦

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Yes the savings in bedding are much higher than the electricity expense of running this equipment.

[@DaleB809]

@@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047 ok thank you

[@bonnabroderna486]

Does the sand become so clean, so there not is no organic material left in the sand? The meaning of to use sand is well that there is no organic material in the sand, because if there is organic material in the beds so risks that also to come bacteria in the beds, which can lead to that the cows get mastitis?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

There is very little organic material left with the sand after it comes out of the separator. This is part of the reason we really like to use sand as bedding for the cows, to reduce the risk of mastitis.

[@henninglaumann3475]

🚜🤳👌👍

[@steveketchum9836]

must get more money for your milk than I do

[@brucelarson4659]

So does it still smell like manure

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Yes it does.

[@christienagema7855]

You use grey water and do not use clean water to wash it. How do you know all the manure is out of the sand?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

Mainly by how wet the sand is coming out of the separators. If it's not stackable sand it's too wet to put into the stalls right away in my experience.

[@sparhawkable]

Does that mean the urine is just recycled?

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

The sand is recycled, the urine and manure is used as fertilizer.

[@roguewarrior9957]

You did not mention how the sand is sanitized to remove bacteria from feces? I am guessing unless a cow is sick the urine itself would not contain bacteria or other pathogens. Some sort of oven raised to above 165 degrees Fahrenheit would facilitate drying and sterilizing the sand. One has to appreciate the expense your farm has gone to in order to recycle.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

The sand is not sanitized, we let it drain/dry some before we put it back in the stalls. This has worked good for us.

[@Lukelins1]

That looks expensive.

[@pietvanbedaf-nddairyfarmer9047]

It's a big upfront investment, but it pays off quickly with savings in purchased bedding needed.