With increasing emphasis on a cleaner environment, more attention must be given to methods of manure management. Planning a group of buildings and their surroundings to present a wholesome image is as important as planning for productive efficiency. Farm operators who take pride in maintaining the farmstead are generally better managers than those who practice poor housekeeping.
Employees take more pride in their jobs and work output improves.
Production advantages are also likely to be realized by proper in-house manure management. Anaerobic decomposition of manure produces more than 40 gases which may be detrimental to animal health and productivity, unhealthy to workers or offensive to neighbors. Ammonia and other gas concentrations in swine housing has been closely associated with ventilation rates and manure management systems. Continuous breathing of ammonia, even in low concentrations, increases the susceptibility of animal's to respiratory diseases such as rhinitis and chronic pneumonia. Ammonia also causes a loss of appetite resulting in slower gains.