Over 73 percent of dairy farmers and 44 percent of livestock farmers report hauling manure daily or frequently. Most farmers do not have safe, long-term storage facilities. Almost a quarter of livestock farmers pile manure directly on the ground, while only 17 percent store manure in a lined facility, such as a clay or concrete pit or a slurry system. Most manure is spread within a five-minute radius of the barn. Soil is frequently used as a barnyard surface.
Most barnyards drain directly into nearby fields.
Less than 10 percent of farmers utilize engineered filter strips to minimize nutrient leaching. Researchers theorized that, although farmers are concerned about the environment, other reasons for not adopting manure management practices exist. Although data limitations preclude firm conclusions, a primary reason for low adoption rates could be financial and time limitations. Installing facilities such as lined storage pits, runoff filters and new barnyards require a substantial financial outlay with little immediate return. Likewise, most farmers cannot afford the time needed for spreading manure in the spring when they are in the midst of preparing and planting fields.