About Dry Manure Spreaders
Manure spreaders, also called “muck spreaders” or “honey wagons,” come in two basic types: dry or liquid. The dry spreaders found in this category use a chain- or auger-driven bed, or hydraulic push box, to move manure through the trailer and discharge it using a PTO-driven rotating mechanism. Typically, this mechanism is a series of beaters or spinners and may discharge out the side or back or the trailer. The trailer itself may either be mounted on a truck or, more commonly, towed behind a trailer.
New Holland 195 Box Spreader
Application Timing & Regulation
Growers need to check with state authorities on rules regarding the application of dry and/or liquid manure to minimize the potential for pollution. Dry manure, typically consisting of 20% or more of solids, is sometimes applied in spring before tillage and then incorporated into the soil to increase the amount of plant-available nutrients. Surface application without incorporating the dry manure can lead to nutrient losses from surface runoff. On a no-till farm, producers might plant a cover crop in fall, and then surface broadcast the manure. The cover crop will take up the nutrients and hold them until the crop residue breaks down. A field-specific assessment may be necessary to determine the right timing, application method, and dry manure amounts.
Features & Design
Manufacturers offer a wide variety of trailer-mounted options, such as wide-body designs to optimize capacity, narrow-body models that can reach confined spaces, and lightweight models to minimize compaction. Box spreaders might also be truck-mounted for easier road travel between fields. Some new dry manure spreaders feature real-time weight displacement technology that indicates how much manure is being applied, and when combined with a rate controller allows operators to vary application rates as needed depending on crop and field conditions.
Find Your Dry Manure Spreader
You’ll find new and used dry manure spreaders for sale on TractorHouse.com from manufacturers such as Artex, H & S, John Deere, KUHN Knight, Meyer, New Holland, New Idea, and Tubeline.
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