Slurry tankers are a great choice for spreading effluent over pasture. Here’s 5 advantages all smart dairy farmers should know about…
1. Cost Effective Investment for Smart Dairy Farmers
There are a number of cost benefits to having a slurry tanker:
- Low running/maintenance costs per litre – slurry tankers don’t require a pump to operate. Effluent is sucked up by vacuum and discharged through pressure, meaning a much heavier/thicker slurry concentration can be processed without any pump burnouts.
- Low labour requirement – slurry tankers are easy to use, and are a 1 person operation. As long as you can drive a tractor, you can spread with a slurry tanker.
- No electricity & low HP – slurry tankers are a great contingency plan as they don’t require any electricity to run, and the tractor HP required is often much lower than you’d think!
- Spread nutrients further – you can spread effluent nutrients over areas that can’t be reached by other spreading methods.
- Multi-farm use – if you’ve got multiple farms, one machine can be used on all of them for economies of scale.
- Supplement your income – if you really want to make a return on your investment, you may be able to use the tanker to contract around your neighbourhood (assuming your neighbours are not as cool as you and don’t already have Nevada slurry tankers of their own)
2. Versatile Solutions
Farm tankers make it easy to empty not only effluent ponds, but also feed barns with catchment areas below. Since slurry tankers don’t use a pump to process the effluent, they’re able to handle a much thicker slurry with a higher concentration of solids – so there’s no concern over pumping burn out.
With a slurry tanker you’re also not limited by the length of your pipes or hose. Just fill ‘er up, and take the effluent wherever nutrients are needed. This allows you to maximise land use when it comes to cow rotation, knowing the grass is just as nutritious in every paddock!
Slurry tankers also make very useful trough cleaners – easily clean out the trough and get rid of any alge for better animal health.
3. Council Compliance Made Easy
Nevada’s slurry tankers with RainWave™ make it super easy to stay within the lines and not worry about whether or not you’re council compliant.
The main issues with compliance and effluent spreading arise from effluent making it’s way into waterways, or spreading outside your boundary lines. Having a slurry tanker with RainWave™ spreader is ideal because:
- You’ve got control over your application – adjust the spreading rate to suit ground conditions and prevent ponding/run-off.
- Spread little and often – a slurry tanker is convenient and fast to get in and get the job done when you’ve only got an hour or 2 to spare. This means you’re not having to wait too long for the ideal conditions to spread large amounts at a time.
- Low pressure spreading – a RainWave™ uses low pressure, and produces larger droplets for less volitisation and wind drift. This means more nutrients make it to the ground for plant absorbsion, and along with having more control, you’re much less likely to accidentally spread over your boundary line.
4. Nourish hard to spread places
With traditional irrigators, you’re often limited to spreading in one straight line…this makes things difficult if you’ve got a paddock that is oddly shaped. Slurry tankers allow you to spread off the beaten path and venture into areas travelling irrigators just can’t reach – but wait, there’s more…
A slurry tanker also gives you control over application so you don’t over-reach. After all we don’t want those nutrients wasted on the roadside or on the neighbours clean washing! Jokes aside – we’re all for keeping the brown stuff out of our waterways and neighbouring properties, so the added control you’ll have with a RainWave™ slurry tanker means farmers can easily stay on the right side of council compliance.
5. Time Efficient Operation
Got lots of time on your hands? We didn’t think so…slurry tankers are a great option for time efficiency:
- Contrary to popular belief, they’re faster than you might think. In fact, some contractors are able to outperform pumping systems with their Nevada slurry tankers.
- Minimal labour requirement – slurry tankers are easy to use. If you can drive a tractor, you can spread with a slurry tanker. Not only that, but they’re easier to set up with no hoses or pumps to get going (which also means less mess!)
- Spread little and often – with a Nevada RainWave™ spreader, you can spread as much or as little as you want depending on time, weather conditions, and the amount of nutrients the ground is able to soak up. More nutrients are able to reach pasture, as there is less volitisation and wind drift – so you’ve also got less to worry about in terms of ponding and run-off.
Final Thoughts on Slurry Tankers
For farmers seeking a balance of cost effectiveness, versatility, compliance, reach, and efficiency, slurry tankers deliver across the board. Whether operating a slurry tanker for heavier loads or as part of a fleet designed for flexible spreading, these machines give you more control and confidence for your effluent management.
Get in Touch
If you want to learn more about how you can transform effluent management on your farm, we can help. Nevada offers a comprehensive range of slurry tankers and applicators specifically designed for Australian and New Zealand conditions. Contact us today to discuss your requirements and discover the right tanker solution for your property.
