- 1). Define the volume of liquid manure to be pumped from the lagoon. For example, if you have 100 head of beef cattle in an open feedlot, you may end up pumping 19 acre-inches from your pit each year. This translates to about 429,403 gallons annually. The size of your lagoon will determine how frequently to pump. A 57,552 cubic foot basin at a depth of 15 feet, will allow you to store up to six months of manure, water from flushing out the lot and any accumulated rainwater -- a mixture known as slurry.
- 2). Place markers in your pit indicating the levels at which pumping must begin to prevent overflow, and at which level it must end -- to maintain the permanent volume necessary for pit lining preservation. These markers may not always coincide with the pumping frequencies you have calculated, because excess rain or evaporation will affect the total volume. They do, however, provide safeguards for the lagoon structure.
- 3). Attach the power take-off pump to your tractor's PTO shaft. Float the pump intake, or receptor, one to two feet below the slurry surface. Pumping duration depends on the pipe diameter, the pump's gallons per hour flow rate and the type livestock manure being drained. This procedure applies to above-ground irrigation and fertilization.
- 4). Engage the release valve for a gated pipe irrigation system. This perforated tubing runs from the lagoon across the surface soil to be treated. While it requires little labor other than laying the pipe, irrigation can take longer due to low flow rate. This system works best on land with shallow to medium slopes.
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