# Manure Storage Options for Small Farms: Solid vs Liquid Systems ## Key Takeaways - **Dry Matter Content Dictates Handling:** Manure with >15-20% dry matter behaves as a solid, manageable with loaders and spreaders, while <10% dry matter necessitates liquid handling via pumps and tanks. Slurries (10-15% dry matter) present significant handling challenges. - **Solid Storage Favors Aerobic Decomposition:** Properly managed solid piles, ideally covered and not over-compacted, promote aerobic decomposition, minimizing nitrogen loss as ammonia and reducing odor compared to anaerobic conditions. Composting further stabilizes manure into a low-odor product. - **Liquid Storage Maximizes Nutrient Retention:** Liquid systems, particularly when covered or with a natural crust, offer higher nitrogen retention by minimizing volatilization. Nutrients are readily available for injection, reducing surface odor and nutrient loss during application. - **System Choice is Operation-Specific:** The optimal manure storage system (solid vs. liquid) is determined by herd size, bedding availability and cost, climate (especially rainfall), existing equipment, regulatory requirements, and available land base for application. - **Capacity and Runoff Control are Critical:** Underestimating storage volume (aim for 30% buffer) and neglecting runoff/leachate management from solid storage pads are common, costly errors; liquid systems require adequate capacity for rainfall infiltration. - **Nutrient Testing and Application Timing are Paramount:** Accurate manure nutrient analysis (via sampling during agitation for liquids) and adherence to optimal application windows (avoiding frozen/saturated ground and pre-heavy rain) are essential for effective nutrient utilization and environmental protection. --- Manure is not waste. It is a resource that holds nutrients, organic matter, and the potential to improve your soil. But how you store that manure between the time it leaves the barn and the time it reaches the field determines how much of that value you keep, how much labor you spend, and how much risk you carry for water quality and neighbor relations. This guide compares the two main storage approaches for small farms, solid and liquid systems, and walks through the practical decisions involved in choosing, building, and managing each one. It is written for owners and managers of small livestock operations, including those running beef cow-calf herds, dairy heifers, sheep flocks, goat herds, and small poultry operations, who are ready to move beyond daily hauling and want a storage plan that fits their scale, their climate, and their equipment. ## At a Glance | Factor | Solid Manure Storage | Liquid Manure Storage | |---|---|---| | Typical manure dry matter | Greater than 15 to 20 percent | Less than 5 to 10 percent | | Primary handling method | Bucket loader, spreader, stacking | Pump, tanker, irrigation or injection | | Storage structure | Pile, bunker, shed, or compost pad | Lagoon, concrete tank, or aboveground tank | | Bedding needs | High bedding use helps keep it solid | Minimal bedding, relies on water or flush systems | | Nutrient retention | Moderate, nitrogen losses are higher | High nitrogen retention if managed correctly | | Odor potential | Lower when handled and stacked properly | Higher, especially during agitation and pumping | | Equipment cost | Moderate, often uses existing tractor | Higher, requires specialized pumps and tanks | | Labor per ton handled | Lower | Higher for daily liquid handling | | Best fit | Smaller herds, ample bedding, dry climates | Larger herds, milking operations, wet climates | | Regulatory attention | Moderate, runoff control still required | Higher, permits and liner requirements are common | The most important takeaway is that there is no single right system. The right system matches your herd size, your bedding supply, your climate, your equipment, and your land base. Many small farms run a hybrid approach, storing solids for most of the year and handling a thin liquid fraction separately. ## Understanding the Fundamentals of Manure as a Material Before you choose a storage system, you need to understand what you are actually storing. Manure is not a uniform substance. Its characteristics change with animal species, feed ration, bedding type, water use, and the time it spends in the barn. The single most important property for storage decisions is dry matter content, which determines whether you are dealing with a solid, a slurry, or a liquid. Fresh beef manure runs roughly 10 to 15 percent dry matter. Dairy manure is wetter, often 8 to 12 percent, because dairy rations include more water and cows drink more. Sheep and goat manure is typically drier and comes out as pellets, often 20 to 25 percent dry matter. Poultry manure varies widely, from 25 percent dry matter in some broiler operations to 70 percent or more in high-rise layer houses. Bedding changes everything. Add straw, sawdust, or wood shavings at a rate of 10 to 20 pounds per cow per day and you can push the dry matter of the combined manure and bedding pack well above 20 percent, making it a true solid. The distinction between solid and liquid is not arbitrary. At dry matter above about 15 to 20 percent, manure behaves like a solid. It stacks, it drains, and it can be handled with a bucket loader. At dry matter below about 10 percent, manure behaves like a liquid. It flows, it pumps, and it must be stored in a watertight structure. In between is the slurry zone, where manure is too wet to stack but too thick to pump easily. Slurries are the hardest to handle and the most common cause of equipment frustration on small farms. Moisture content also drives biological activity. When manure is stored wet, anaerobic bacteria break down organic matter and release ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic acids. These compounds cause odor and represent lost nitrogen. When manure is stored dry and kept aerated, aerobic decomposition proceeds more slowly and produces fewer offensive odors. Your storage choice is essentially a choice about which biological pathway you want to manage. ## Solid Manure Storage Systems Solid manure storage is the default system for most small farms because it fits the equipment and labor patterns already present on a typical operation. If you have a tractor with a front-end loader and a manure spreader, you already have the core components of a solid system. The storage structure itself is simpler than a liquid system and costs less to build. ### Design and Layout of Solid Storage A solid manure pile is not just a heap on the ground. A well-designed solid storage area has a firm base, controlled runoff, and enough capacity to carry you through the periods when you cannot spread. The standard recommendation is to store on a concrete pad or a compacted clay base that slopes slightly to one side. The pad should extend at least 10 feet beyond the pile footprint on all sides to give your loader room to work and to catch any liquids that drain from the pile. The pad needs a runoff management plan. Rain that falls on the pile and liquid that drains from fresh manure must be collected and either applied to cropland or routed to a vegetated filter area. The simplest approach is to slope the pad to a collection point and pump the liquid to a small tank or direct it to a grassed waterway. Check with your local conservation district or extension office about specific setback distances from wells, streams, and property lines, because these rules vary by state and county. For the pile itself, you have three main options. The first is a simple open pile on the pad, which is the lowest cost and the most common. The second is a three-sided bunker with concrete walls, which makes loading easier and keeps the pile contained. The third is a roofed shed, which keeps rain off the pile and reduces leachate volume significantly. Roofed storage costs more but reduces nutrient losses and odor, and it may be required in areas with high rainfall or sensitive water resources. ### Managing the Solid Pile Stacking method matters more than most farmers realize. A pile that is packed tight and left undisturbed will go anaerobic in the interior, producing odor and losing nitrogen as ammonia. A pile that is stacked loosely with a bucket, allowing some air to penetrate, will stay more aerobic and produce less odor. If you want to promote aerobic decomposition, you can turn the pile periodically, but turning adds labor and may not be necessary if you are only storing for a few months. The practical approach for most small farms is to build the pile in layers, keeping the face as steep as possible without causing the pile to slump. Do not drive on the pile with a tractor to pack it down. Packing creates the anaerobic conditions that cause odor. If you have the space, build a long windrow rather than a single tall pile. Windrows have more surface area relative to volume, which improves air exchange and reduces odor. Cover the pile if you can. A simple tarp weighted down with old tires or sandbags will reduce rain infiltration, cut leachate production, and reduce ammonia loss. Studies from land grant universities consistently show that covering manure piles reduces nitrogen losses by 20 to 50 percent compared to uncovered piles. The cover does not need to be fancy. A 6 mil polyethylene tarp is adequate for a season or two. If you want a longer-term solution, a permanent roof is better. ### Composting as a Solid Storage Strategy Composting is a form of solid storage that turns manure and bedding into a stable, low-odor product. The process requires the right carbon to nitrogen ratio, adequate moisture, and oxygen. Manure alone is too high in nitrogen for good composting. You need to blend it with high-carbon bedding materials like straw, wood shavings, or sawdust to get a starting carbon to nitrogen ratio of roughly 25 to 30 to 1. The composting process happens in stages. The first stage is the active phase, where microbial activity drives pile temperatures up to 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This phase lasts several weeks and requires regular turning to keep oxygen flowing. The second stage is the curing phase, where the pile cools and the material stabilizes. Total time from start to finished compost is typically 3 to 6 months depending on climate, pile size, and turning frequency. Composting reduces volume by 40 to 60 percent, which means you store less material and spread less material. It also kills weed seeds and many pathogens if the pile reaches and maintains 130 degrees or higher for at least 3 days. The finished compost is a stable soil amendment that can be applied at higher rates than raw manure without burning plants. The tradeoff is labor. You need a tractor with a loader, a way to turn the pile, and the discipline to monitor moisture and temperature through the active phase. ### Solid Storage Capacity and Sizing Sizing a solid storage area requires you to know how much manure and bedding you produce, how long you need to store it, and how much volume the pile will occupy. A good starting estimate is that a mature beef cow produces about 60 pounds of manure per day, a dairy cow produces about 150 pounds, a ewe produces about 8 pounds, and a laying hen produces about 0.3 pounds. These numbers include urine and feces but not bedding. Add the bedding you use to get the total material you must handle. For storage volume, figure that one cubic yard of solid manure and bedding weighs between 1,000 and 1,400 pounds depending on moisture content and compaction. A pile that is 8 feet tall will occupy roughly 50 percent more volume than the actual material because of the slope of the pile sides. Build in 20 to 30 percent extra capacity for a wet year or an equipment breakdown that delays spreading. The minimum storage period for most small farms is 90 to 120 days. This carries you through the winter months in cold climates when the ground is frozen or saturated and spreading is not possible. Some states require 6 months of storage capacity for animal feeding operations. Check your state regulations before you build, because it is much cheaper to build the right size the first time than to expand later. ### Equipment for Solid Manure The minimum equipment set for solid manure handling is a tractor with a front-end loader and a manure spreader. The loader should be able to lift a heaping bucket of manure and place it into the spreader without straining. A utility tractor in the 40 to 75 horsepower range is adequate for most small farms. Larger operations may want a skid steer or a telehandler for faster loading. Manure spreaders come in two basic types. The box spreader has a moving floor and a beaters assembly that throws the manure to the side. It handles coarse, bedded manure well and is the standard choice for solid systems. The vertical beater spreader is a variation that processes the manure more finely and spreads it more evenly. The tank spreader, despite the name, is for liquid manure and is covered in the liquid section below. When you spread solid manure, set the spreader to apply a uniform layer across the field. Calibrate your spreader at least once a year. The simplest calibration method is to spread a known weight of manure over a measured area and calculate the application rate in tons per acre. Target rates depend on the nutrient content of your manure and the needs of your crop. A typical application for a grass hay field is 10 to 20 tons per acre of solid manure, but you should base your rate on soil test results and manure analysis. ## Liquid Manure Storage Systems Liquid manure systems are more common on dairy farms and larger hog operations, but they have a place on some small farms. If you have a milking herd, if you use water to flush alleys, or if you produce a lot of urine relative to bedding, you may find that solid handling is not practical. Liquid systems store manure in a watertight structure and handle it with pumps and tankers. ### When Liquid Storage Makes Sense Liquid storage becomes attractive when the dry matter of your manure falls below about 10 percent. This happens naturally in dairy operations where cows drink a lot of water and the milking parlor wash water is combined with the manure. It also happens if you use a flush system to clean alleys or if you have a lot of rainfall entering your barn. At these moisture levels, the manure will not stack and it seeps through the floor of a solid storage pad. Liquid storage also makes sense if you want to maximize nutrient retention. Liquid systems lose less nitrogen to ammonia volatilization than solid piles, especially if the storage is covered or if a natural crust forms on the surface. The nutrients are held in a form that can be injected into the soil, which reduces odor and nutrient losses at application time. The main disadvantage of liquid storage is cost. A concrete or steel tank is expensive to build, and the pumps, agitators, and tankers needed to handle liquid manure cost more than a loader and spreader. Liquid manure is heavy, roughly 8.3 pounds per gallon, and spreading it requires a heavy-duty tanker or an irrigation system. Small farms often find that the capital cost of liquid systems is hard to justify unless they have a milking parlor or a regulatory requirement to manage manure as a liquid. ### Storage Structures for Liquid Manure The most common liquid storage structures are concrete tanks, steel tanks, and earthen lagoons. Each has advantages and tradeoffs. Concrete tanks are the most common choice for small and mid-sized dairy farms. They are durable, they can be built above or below ground, and they are easier to clean than earthen lagoons. A concrete tank should have a reinforced floor and walls designed to withstand the pressure of the liquid manure and the agitation equipment used to mix it. The tank should be watertight to prevent leakage into groundwater. Steel tanks are an alternative to concrete. They are often used for smaller volumes and can be purchased as prefabricated units. Steel tanks are easier to install than poured concrete but they require corrosion protection and may need to be replaced sooner. They are also more visible above ground, which can be a concern for aesthetics and odor. Earthen lagoons are the lowest cost option per gallon of storage, but they require the right soil conditions and a liner. A lagoon is essentially a large excavated basin with sloped sides and a clay or synthetic liner. Lagoons work well for large volumes and long storage periods, but they are harder to agitate thoroughly and they have higher odor potential than enclosed tanks. Many states require a professional engineer to design a lagoon and a liner system that meets water quality standards. ### Managing the Liquid System Liquid manure separates into layers when it sits. The solids settle to the bottom, a liquid layer forms in the middle, and a crust may form on top if the manure is not agitated. You must agitate the storage before pumping to mix the solids back into suspension. Agitation is the most unpleasant part of liquid manure handling because it releases the gases and odors that have accumulated in the storage. Agitate only when you are ready to pump. Start the agitation slowly and increase the speed gradually. Use a propeller agitator or a pump that recirculates the liquid back into the tank. Keep the agitation going throughout the pumping process to maintain a uniform consistency. Do not leave an agitator running unattended, and never enter a liquid manure storage structure. The gases in liquid manure storage, especially hydrogen sulfide, can be lethal. Pumping and spreading liquid manure requires a different equipment set than solid handling. A vacuum tanker can load itself from the storage, but it has limited capacity for long hauls. A better choice for larger operations is a chopper pump that can load a nurse tank or pump directly into an irrigation system. Injection equipment places the manure below the soil surface, which reduces odor and nitrogen losses but requires more horsepower and heavier equipment. ### Nutrient Content of Liquid Manure Liquid manure has a lower nutrient concentration per gallon than solid manure has per ton, but the nutrients are more available to crops. The nitrogen in liquid manure is largely in the ammonium form, which is immediately plant-available. The phosphorus and potassium are also in forms that crops can use readily. Typical liquid dairy manure contains about 25 to 35 pounds of nitrogen, 15 to 20 pounds of phosphorus as P2O5, and 25 to 35 pounds of potassium as K2O per 1,000 gallons. These numbers vary widely with diet, water use, and storage time. The only way to know what you have is to sample and test. Take a sample during agitation, when the manure is well mixed, and send it to a certified laboratory. Test at least once a year and more often if your ration changes. Application rates for liquid manure are usually expressed in gallons per acre or thousands of gallons per acre. A typical application for corn is 5,000 to 10,000 gallons per acre of liquid dairy manure, but your rate must be based on the nutrient analysis and your soil test. Overapplying liquid manure is easy to do because the application equipment moves quickly and the manure is not visible on the surface. Use a flow meter or a calibrated tanker to track your application rate. ## Comparing the Two Systems: A Decision Framework Choosing between solid and liquid storage is not a matter of which is better in the abstract. It is a matter of which fits your operation. The following framework walks through the key decision points. ### Herd Size and Type Herd size drives the economics of storage. Small herds, under about 50 animal units, can almost always use solid storage more economically than liquid. The capital cost of a concrete tank and pumping equipment is hard to justify when a loader and a spreader are already on hand. Larger herds, especially dairy herds over 100 cows, often find that liquid systems save labor and improve nutrient management enough to justify the cost. Animal type matters too. Beef cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry produce manure that is naturally drier and works well in solid systems. Dairy cattle, especially those in freestall barns with flush cleaning, produce manure that is wet enough to require liquid handling. If you have a mix of species, you may need a combination of systems. ### Bedding Availability and Cost Bedding is the hidden variable in manure storage decisions. Solid systems require significant amounts of bedding to keep the manure dry enough to stack. If you have abundant, low-cost straw or sawdust, solid storage is attractive. If bedding is expensive or hard to get, you will be tempted to use less, which makes your manure wetter and harder to handle as a solid. Liquid systems minimize bedding use. Many liquid operations use sand or no bedding at all, relying on water to move the manure. If bedding costs are a major expense for your operation, the savings from switching to a liquid system may offset some of the capital cost. ### Climate and Rainfall Climate determines how long you need to store and how much water will enter your storage. In cold climates with frozen ground, you need at least 90 to 120 days of storage to cover the winter. In wet climates, you need to plan for rainfall entering your storage, which increases the volume you must handle. Solid storage in a wet climate requires a roof or a tarp to keep rain out. Without cover, the pile will become saturated, leachate will flow, and the material will become too wet to handle effectively. Liquid storage handles rainfall more gracefully because the storage is designed to hold liquid, but you still need extra capacity for the rain that falls directly into the tank or lagoon. ### Equipment You Already Own Your existing equipment is a strong constraint on your options. If you have a tractor with a loader, you are set up for solid handling. If you have a skid steer or a telehandler, you are even better equipped. If you have no tractor at all, you need to think about whether you can justify the cost of a loader for manure handling alone. Liquid systems require pumps, tankers, and usually a larger tractor to pull the tanker through the field. If you do not already own this equipment, the capital cost is significant. Some farmers rent or custom hire liquid manure application, which avoids the capital cost but adds scheduling risk. ### Regulatory Requirements Regulations may push you toward one system or the other. Some states require certain livestock operations to have a nutrient management plan, which must include a [manure storage design](/knowledge/animal-farming/farm-management/manure-storage-handling-design-safety) that meets state standards. Some states require a minimum storage capacity, often 6 months, which may be easier to achieve with one system than the other. Some states restrict liquid manure application during certain seasons, which means you need more storage. Your local conservation district or extension office can tell you what rules apply to your operation. Do not rely on advice from a neighbor or a manure equipment dealer alone. Get the regulatory requirements in writing before you build. ### Land Base and Cropping System The land base you have for manure application is a major factor. Liquid manure can be applied to growing crops through irrigation or injection, which gives you more flexibility in timing. Solid manure must be incorporated into the soil to capture the nitrogen, which means you need tillage or a way to work the manure into a no-till system. If you have limited land and high manure production, you need a storage system that allows you to hold manure until the right application window. Liquid systems generally allow longer storage and more flexible application. If you have ample land and low stocking density, you may be able to spread frequently and need less storage. ## Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Farmers make predictable mistakes when they set up manure storage. Knowing these mistakes in advance can save you money and frustration. ### Underestimating Storage Volume The most common mistake is building too little storage. Farmers underestimate how much manure and bedding they produce, and they underestimate how long they will need to store it. A wet spring or a broken spreader can leave you with no place to put manure and no way to empty the barn. Avoid this mistake by calculating your storage needs carefully before you build. Use the production estimates in this article or get local numbers from your extension office. Add 30 percent to your estimate for a buffer. A bigger storage is cheaper to build now than to expand later. ### Ignoring Runoff and Leachate Solid manure piles produce runoff and leachate that can carry nutrients into surface water and groundwater. Many small farms ignore this until a neighbor complains or a regulator shows up. The solution is to build your pile on an impervious pad with a runoff collection system. Do not assume that a grassed area below the pile will catch everything. Grass filters some nutrients but not all, and it does nothing in the winter when the ground is frozen. A proper pad with a collection system is the only reliable approach. ### Failing to Agitate Liquid Manure Liquid manure that sits for months will develop a thick layer of settled solids on the bottom. If you do not agitate thoroughly before pumping, you will pump mostly water and leave the solids in the tank. Over time, the solids accumulate and reduce your usable storage volume. Agitate before every pumping event, and agitate longer than you think you need. A good rule of thumb is to agitate for at least 30 minutes per foot of liquid depth before you start pumping. ### Spreading at the Wrong Time Manure application timing is as important as storage design. Spreading on frozen ground, saturated soil, or before a heavy rain event sends nutrients into waterways. Many states have restrictions on winter spreading, and some require a buffer from surface water. Plan your application windows in advance. Spread when the soil is dry enough to support equipment, when the crop can use the nutrients, and when rain is not forecast for the next 48 hours. Incorporate solid manure within 24 hours of application to capture the nitrogen. ### Neglecting Nutrient Testing Manure is a variable fertilizer. Its nutrient content changes with diet, bedding, storage time, and handling. If you apply manure without knowing its nutrient content, you are guessing. You may underapply and starve your crop, or overapply and pollute water. Test your manure at least once a year. Sample solid manure from several places in the pile and mix them together for a composite sample. Sample liquid manure during agitation. Send the sample to a certified laboratory and use the results to calculate your application rate. ## Monitoring and Recordkeeping Manure storage is not a set-and-forget system. It requires regular monitoring and honest recordkeeping. Good records help you comply with regulations, plan your nutrient applications, and catch problems before they become emergencies. ### What to Monitor Check your solid storage pile weekly. Look for signs of excessive leachate, which indicates the pile is too wet. Check the pile temperature if you are composting. A pile that has gone cold and wet may be going anaerobic. Look for signs of runoff escaping the pad, which indicates a structural problem or an overflowing collection system. Check your liquid storage at least weekly. Look at the liquid level and note any changes. Check the crust for cracks or holes that could allow gas to escape or rain to enter. Look for signs of leakage around the tank walls or the lagoon banks. If you have a synthetic liner, look for tears or uplift. ### What to Record Keep a simple log for each storage structure. Record the date, the estimated volume or tonnage in storage, and any observations about condition. Record every time you add manure to the storage and every time you remove manure for spreading. Record the date, the amount removed, and the field where it was applied. Record your manure test results and your soil test results. Keep a map of your fields showing where you applied manure and how much. This information is essential for planning next year's applications and for demonstrating compliance if a regulator asks. ### When to Call for Help You should call your extension agent or a professional engineer when you are designing a new storage system, when you are expanding an existing system, or when you notice a structural problem. You should call a licensed manure applicator or custom operator if you do not have the equipment or the time to apply manure properly. You should call your veterinarian if you see signs of illness in animals that may be linked to manure handling. This is rare, but it can happen if manure storage is too close to the barn, if ventilation is poor, or if animals have access to the storage area. Clinical signs to watch for include respiratory distress, eye irritation, or unexplained death in animals near a liquid manure storage. You should call your extension agent or state regulatory agency if you have a manure spill or a discharge to surface water. Do not wait to report a spill. Many states have reporting requirements with time limits, and the penalties for failing to report are often worse than the penalties for the spill itself. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much storage capacity do I need for a small beef herd? A good starting point is 90 to 120 days of storage for a small beef herd. This carries you through winter in cold climates. For a herd of 20 cows, expect to produce roughly 2 to 3 tons of manure and bedding per week. Over 120 days, that is 35 to 50 tons, which is about 30 to 40 cubic yards of pile volume. Build your pad to hold at least that much plus a 30 percent buffer for wet weather and scheduling delays. Check your state regulations because some states require 6 months of storage for certain operation sizes. ### Can I store solid manure on a dirt pad instead of concrete? You can store on a compacted clay pad in the short term, but a dirt pad will not hold up over years of loader traffic and it will not provide a reliable barrier against leachate. The clay will rut, the manure will mix with the soil, and you will lose material when you clean the pad. A concrete pad is the better investment. It costs more upfront but it lasts for decades, it is easier to clean, and it gives you a defensible runoff management surface. If you cannot afford concrete, at least use a compacted clay base with a slope and a collection area, and plan to upgrade to concrete when you can. ### How do I know if my manure is too wet for solid storage? Try the squeeze test. Take a handful of manure and squeeze it firmly in your fist. If water runs out between your fingers, the manure is too wet for solid storage. If the ball holds its shape and does not drip, it is in the solid range. If the ball crumbles and falls apart, it is quite dry and will store well. This test is not scientific, but it gives you a quick field check. If your manure is consistently too wet, you need more bedding, better drainage in the barn, or a liquid system. ### What is the best bedding for solid manure storage? The best bedding is the one that is cheap, available, and high in carbon. Straw and wood shavings are the standard choices. Straw breaks down faster and is easier to handle. Wood shavings last longer and provide more carbon per pound, but they can be harder to compost. Sawdust works well but can be dusty. Avoid bedding that is high in nitrogen, like fresh grass or legume hay, because it will make your manure too hot and too odorous. The goal is to get the carbon to nitrogen ratio of the manure and bedding mix up to 25 to 30 to 1 for good composting. ### How long can I store liquid manure before it becomes a problem? You can store liquid manure for many months if your storage has enough capacity. The main issues are odor, solids settling, and nutrient changes. Odor increases with storage time, especially in warm weather. Solids settle and must be agitated before pumping. Nitrogen is lost over time, mostly as ammonia, so the nutrient value of old manure is lower than fresh manure. A covered storage or a natural crust reduces nitrogen loss and odor. Plan to use your oldest manure first and cycle through your storage so nothing sits for more than 6 to 12 months. ### Do I need a permit for manure storage on a small farm? It depends on your state, your herd size, and your location. Many states exempt small farms from the full permitting process but still require you to meet basic setback and runoff requirements. Some states require a permit if you have more than a certain number of animal units, usually 300 or more. Others require a permit if your storage is near a stream, a well, or a residential area. Contact your state department of agriculture or your local conservation district before you build. The cost of a permit is small compared to the cost of a violation. ### Can I use a septic tank for manure storage? No. Septic tanks are designed for household wastewater, not manure. They are not sized, reinforced, or configured for manure storage. Manure has much higher solids content than wastewater, and it will plug the inlet and outlet pipes. Septic tanks are also not designed to be agitated or pumped with manure handling equipment. Using a septic tank for manure is unsafe and likely violates your local codes. Use a properly designed manure storage structure instead. ### What should I do if my liquid manure storage is full and I cannot spread? This is an emergency situation that requires immediate action. First, check whether you have any land where spreading is allowed, even if it is not ideal timing. Second, consider custom application through a licensed manure applicator who may have more equipment flexibility. Third, contact your extension office or state regulatory agency to ask about emergency options. Do not pump the manure into a ditch, a waterway, or an unlined pit. An illegal discharge is a serious violation with significant penalties. The best solution is to avoid this situation by planning your storage capacity with a buffer and by spreading whenever conditions allow, not just when the storage is full. ## Related Farming Guides This section will be populated with links to related farming guides on manure management, nutrient planning, and livestock housing. Check back for updates. ## Related Clinical & Scientific Guides * [Animal Welfare Audits: Building a Useful Farm Program](/knowledge/animal-farming/farm-management/animal-welfare-audits-building-a-useful-farm-program) * [Total Mixed Ration (TMR) for Dairy: Mixing and Feeding Management](/knowledge/animal-farming/farm-management/total-mixed-ration-dairy-mixing-feeding) * [Feed Additives for Livestock: Probiotics, Enzymes, and More](/knowledge/animal-farming/farm-management/feed-additives-livestock-probiotics-enzymes) ## References - USDA Farm Management: https://www.farmers.gov/ - FAO Farm Management: https://www.fao.org/farmer-field-schools/en/ - FAO Animal Production and Health: https://www.fao.org/animal-production/en/ - WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health): https://www.woah.org/en/home/ > This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis, treatment, public-health guidance, or regulatory reporting.