Feed Lot Waste in Florida
C.W. SHEFFIELD, Pollution Control Officer
Orange County Pollution Control Department
Orlando, Florida
BISHOP BEVILLE, Agricultural Engineer
Soil Conservation Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Orlando, Florida
The problems associated with animal waste disposal are becoming tremendous
compared to just a few years ago. This ever increasing problem of animal feed lot
waste has virtually gone unnoticed in the past few years. Today the environmentalists, regulatory agencies and citizens at large are demanding maximum use
of our water ways for all types of uses. With the population growth resulting from
under 180 million in 1960 to an estimated 350 million by the year 2,000 will require
the following from agriculture: 1) increased number of animals from all agricultural
sources; 2) increased demands for water; 3) increased amount of discharge causing
pollutant, odors and other related problems; 4) increased regulations on all types of
agricultural waste discharges; and 5) competition for land between agriculture and
urban communities.
The question arises, what does this increased population growth mean to the
farmer? In many instances, practices that were accepted yesterday, will no longer
be allowed under certain regulations tomorrow.
What does this mean to the farmer — the one that is raising cattle, hogs,
or poultry on a larger regular basis than ever in the past history of the agri-business.
This means that to stay in business he will have to modernize and adhere to the
rules and regulations whereas the water will be clean for all users.
This paper will deal with problems associated with feed lot waste operations
as related in Florida.
THE PROBLEM
An increased number of animals has created a problem of waste from feed lot.
It has been estimated that animal waste is ten times that from human waste, or
approximately 55 pounds of manure per person would be one way of estimating the
amount of manure from a feed lot operation. It has been estimated that annual
animal manure production is as follows:
Cattle — 2 billion tons
Horse - 25,000,000 tons
Hogs or swine — 101 million tons
Approximately half of this manure production would be from feed lot operations. Therefore, it could be assumed that on a per animal basis, approximately two
pounds per day of BOD as runoff is associated per steer or cow.
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