Manure Analysis

Update: 1998-2010
John Peters

Department of Soil Science

University of Wisconsin – Madison
 Introduction

 Knowing the nutrient content of manure is

critical for nutrient management planning.
 New species and management categories have
been established.
 Follow trends and update book values
 Acknowledgment

 Data for this summary was provided by the

following laboratories.

– AgSource Laboratory
– Dairyland Laboratory
– Rock River Laboratory
– UW Soil and Forage Laboratory
 Laboratory Data
 27,391 lab values from 1998-2010 were
summarized by management (liquid vs. solid)
and species
 Includes 14,676 liquid dairy, 6,371 solid dairy,
2,298 solid poultry, 1,568 liquid swine, 553
solid beef, and 155 solid swine samples, as
well as smaller numbers of samples for other
species
Manure sample numbers by
region, WI (1998-2010)

1167
798
1763

641
1187 5477

1053 1042
3160

Numbers listed represent 59% of total samples where county was listed.
 “Book Values”

 Nutrient concentrations can be estimated

using “book” values for available N, P2O5, and
K2O
 Testing is needed to determine if a farm is
typical and to establish an individual farm
“typical” value
 If management and feeding practices do not
change, manure analysis values will not vary
significantly on a farm
 Manure Sampling and Testing

 Manure testing takes management practices

into account and delivers more accurate
values to use for farm specific nutrient
management planning
 Lab analysis summaries can be used to
monitor long term trends in manure nutrient
content as it is affected by management
changes over time
 Typical total nutrient content of solid
manures tested in Wisconsin. A2809
Species DM N P2O5 K2O S
% lb/ton lb/ton lb/ton lb/ton

Dairy 24 10 5 9 1.5
Beef 35 14 9 11 1.6
Swine 20 14 10 9 2.7
Duck 35 17 21 30 3.9
Chicken 60 40 50 30 3.9
Turkey 60 40 40 30 3.9
Sheep 45 26 18 40 2.7
Horse 45 10 6 10 2.5
Typical total nutrient content of liquid
manures tested in Wisconsin. A2809
Species DM N P2O5 K2O S
% lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal

Dairy 6 24 9 20 4.2
Veal Calf 2 15 10 25 4.5
Beef 5 20 9 20 4.7
Swine, indoor pit 7 50 42 30 2.4
Swine, outdoor pit 4 34 16 20 2.4
Swine f/n, indoor pit 3 25 23 22 4.0
Poultry 3 16 10 12 9.1
 Estimated first-year nutrient
availability of various manures*
Species N P2O5 K2O S
Dairy, surface applied 30% 60% 80% 60%
Dairy, incorporated 40% 60% 80% 60%
Beef, surface applied 25% 60% 80% 60%
Beef, incorporated 35% 60% 80% 60%
Swine, solid surface applied 50% 60% 80% 60%
Swine, solid incorporated 65% 60% 80% 60%
Poultry, solid surface applied 50% 60% 80% 60%
Poultry, solid incorporated 60% 60% 80% 60%
* If manure has been applied to the same field at similar rates for 2 consecutive years, increase the
nutrient values an additional 10%. If manure has been applied to the same field at similar rates for three
or more consecutive years, increase the nutrient values by 15%.
 Estimated first year available nutrient
content of solid manures. A2809
Species N N P2O5 K2O S
Surface Incorp. lb/ton lb/ton lb/ton
lb/ton lb/ton

Dairy 3 4 3 7 1
Beef 4 5 5 9 1
Swine 7 9 6 7 1
Duck 9 10 13 24 2
Chicken 20 24 30 24 2
Turkey 20 24 24 24 2
Sheep 7 9 11 32 1
Horse 3 4 4 8 1
 Estimated first year available nutrient
content of liquid manures. A2809
Species N N P2O5 K2O S
Suface Incorp. lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal
lb/1000 gal lb/1000 gal

Dairy 7 10 5 16 2
Veal Calf 6 8 6 20 2
Beef 5 7 5 16 3
Swine, indoor pit 25 33 25 24 1
Swine, outdoor pit 17 22 10 16 1
Swine f/n, indoor pit 13 16 14 18 2
Poultry 8 10 6 10 5
Comparison of dairy manure summary
results with existing book values
lbs/ton lbs/1000gal

35

6,371 solid and 14,676 liquid samples

30

25

20

15

10

0
Comparison of liquid swine manure
summary results with book values
Swine-finish (indoor) Swine-finish (outdoor)
55 418 samples 112 samples
50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
Comparison of solid swine manure
summary results with book values
lbs/ton

35

30

25
155 solid swine samples
20

15

10

0
Comparison of solid chicken manure
summary results with book values
chicken broiler chicken layer
90

80 66 broiler and 279 layer samples

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Comparison of solid turkey manure
summary results with book values
turkey
55
50
1240 turkey samples
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Comparison of liquid poultry manure
summary results with book values
Duck
Duck
25

416 samples
20

15

10

0
 Comparison of solid sheep and goat
manure summary results with book values
Sheep Goat
55
50
45 26 sheep and 105 goat samples
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
 Long term trends in N content of
dairy manure
Solid Dairy N Trend Liquid Dairy N Trend
16 30

14
25

12

20
10

8 15

6
10

5
2

0 0
 Long term trends in P content of
dairy manure
Solid Dairy P2O5 Trend Liquid Dairy P2O5 Trend
9 12

8
10
7

6 8

5
6
4

3 4

2
2
1

0 0
 Long term trends in K content of
dairy manure

Solid Dairy K2O Trend Liquid Dairy K2O Trend

16 25

14
20
12

10
15

10
6

4
5

0 0
Long term trends in P content of
liquid swine manure
Liquid Swine P2O5 Trend
30

25

20

15

10

0
Long term trends in P content of
solid poultry manure
Solid Poultry P2O5 Trend

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
 Liquid dairy manure nutrient
content by region, WI (1998-2010)
State Avg
21
28 8
11 19
25 25
25
9
8
23
22
25
11 23 22
19 9 8
20 18
21 20 24
Nitrogen 8
P2O5
7 9
K2O 18 18 20
 Solid dairy manure nutrient
content by region, WI (1998-2010)
State Avg
11
13 6
7 10
14 10
10
5
4
10
10
13
5 10 12
5 5 6
8 14

Nitrogen
11 10 12
P2O5 7 6 7
K2O 11 9 12
Long term trends in P levels in liquid
dairy manure vs. TMRs
P2O5 in Liquid Dairy Manure %P in TMRs

12 0.6

10 0.5
P2O5 lbs/1000 gal

8 0.4

%P
6 0.3

4 0.2

2 0.1

0 0
Long term trends in P levels in solid
dairy manure vs. TMRs
P2O5 in Solid Dairy Manure %P in TMRs

9 0.6

8
0.5
7

6 0.4
P2O5 lbs/ton

5
%P
0.3
4

3 0.2

2
0.1
1

0 0