To What Extent does the Gross Water Requirement for Feeding Beef Cattle Contribute to a Cattle Feedyard\u27s Ecological Footprint?

Ecological footprint analysis (EFA) has been defined succinctly (Rees, 1997) as estimating the total area of productive land and water required to produce on a continuous basis all the resources consumed and to assimilate all the wastes produced by [a] population, wherever on Earth the land may be located. EFA assumes that (a) all stocks of material resources, including water, air, nutrients and energy, are finite; (b) where a local deficiency in any of those stocks is overcome by commerce, the transaction merely displaces the ecological stress associated with harvesting and using that stock but does not eliminate it; and (c) humans are integral rather than external to the ecosystems in which they operate. EFA may be an intuitive means by which to monitor progress toward sustainability; to compare the ecological impacts of cities, life-styles, or technologies; or to weigh aggregate human demand against available supply. General EFA distills all significant ecological costs of an enterprise to a single unit of currency: ecologically productive land area per capita. Applied to a single industry, such as cattle feeding, a more practical currency would be land area per unit of annual throughput or productivity (e. g., ha hd-1). In this paper, we present a preliminary calculation of the ecological footprint of the cattle-feeding industry in the Texas Panhandle, with particular focus on the overt contributions of water-resource consumption to that footprint, as well as the more obscure contributions related to appropriation of water resources beyond the Texas Panhandle

Solid-Liquid Separation of Animal Manure and Wastewater

6 pp., 3 photosSolid-liquid separation is an alternative treatment for animal manure and process-generated wastewater. This publication explains the techniques, equipment, performance and economics of separators

Solid-Liquid Separation of Animal Manure and Wastewater

6 pp., 3 photosSolid-liquid separation is an alternative treatment for animal manure and process-generated wastewater. This publication explains the techniques, equipment, performance and economics of separators

Energy and Nutrient Recovery fromCattle Feedlots

Selective harvesting of manure can benefit cattle producers by creating a product of value. A tool that identifies locations of manure accumulation has been developed using a subsurface sensor (Dualem-1S, Milton, ON) and software designed for salt mapping (ESAP, Riverside, CA). The combination allowed the development of models to estimate higher heating value (HHV) of feedlot manure across a feedlot pen. Soil sample data from cattle feedlots in Texas and Nebraska were analyzed for volatile solids (VSs) then combined with the Dualem-1S apparent soil conductivity (ECa) data to produce models having correlations between associated ECa values and VS (r2 = 0.869, VS). A corresponding model is under development to estimate the moisture content of the collectable solids. The combined models allow real-time spatial estimates of HHV within a feedlot pen. These methods will allow direct harvesting of VS for use as a recoverable energy source through direct combustion or cocombustion

Composting Horse Manure

8 pp., 4 photos, 1 figureUncontrolled stockpiles of horse manure can be an unsightly, smelly and fly-infested mess. However, composting manure can eliminate the messy problems and provide a modest additional income for horse enthusiasts, operators of equine facilities and large-animal veterinary clinics. This publication explains what composting is and how to make compost from horse manure. It also provides a case study of a successful composting operation

Manure Harvesting Frequency: The Key to Feedyard Dust Control in a Summer Drought

4 pp., 4 photosSummer drought can make dust control in feedyards more challenging than usual. Supplemental water may not keep pace with daily evaporation. The key to dust control is managing the depth of dry manure in the pens by harvesting manure more frequently, and planning ahead when a drought is projected

Energy and Nutrient Recovery fromCattle Feedlots

Selective harvesting of manure can benefit cattle producers by creating a product of value. A tool that identifies locations of manure accumulation has been developed using a subsurface sensor (Dualem-1S, Milton, ON) and software designed for salt mapping (ESAP, Riverside, CA). The combination allowed the development of models to estimate higher heating value (HHV) of feedlot manure across a feedlot pen. Soil sample data from cattle feedlots in Texas and Nebraska were analyzed for volatile solids (VSs) then combined with the Dualem-1S apparent soil conductivity (ECa) data to produce models having correlations between associated ECa values and VS (r2 = 0.869, VS). A corresponding model is under development to estimate the moisture content of the collectable solids. The combined models allow real-time spatial estimates of HHV within a feedlot pen. These methods will allow direct harvesting of VS for use as a recoverable energy source through direct combustion or cocombustion

Nitrogen Deposition in the Southern High Plains

Nitrogen, the most abundant element in the atmosphere, is necessary for life. But too much of this vital element can have negative effects on the environment. This publication can help landowners in the Southern High Plains region of Texas learn how supplemental nitrogen in the atmosphere can affect their acreage. 6 pages, 6 figures, 1 tabl

Authors' response to comments from Nachman KE et al.

Abstract Authors’ response to comments letter to the editor from Nachman KE et al

Updated systematic review:Associations between proximity to animal feeding operations and health of individuals in nearby communities

Abstract Objective The objective of this review was to update a systematic review of associations between living near an animal feeding operation (AFO) and human health. Methods The MEDLINE® and MEDLINE® In-Process, Centre for Agricultural Biosciences Abstracts, and Science Citation Index databases were searched. Reference lists of included articles were hand-searched. Eligible studies reported exposure to an AFO and an individual-level human health outcome. Two reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. Results The search returned 3702 citations. Sixteen articles consisting of 10 study populations were included in the analysis. The health outcomes were lower and upper respiratory tracts, MRSA, other infectious disease, neurological, psychological, dermatological, otologic, ocular, gastrointestinal, stress and mood, and other non-infectious health outcomes. Most studies were observational and used prevalence measures of outcome. An association between Q fever risk and proximity to goat production was reported. Other associations were unclear. Risk of bias was serious or critical for most exposure-outcome associations. Multiplicity (i.e., a large number of potentially correlated outcomes and exposures assessed on the same study subjects) was common in the evidence base. Conclusions Few studies reported an association between surrogate clinical outcomes and AFO proximity for respiratory tract-related outcomes. There were no consistent dose-response relationships between surrogate clinical outcome and AFO proximity. A new finding was that Q fever in goats is likely associated with an increased Q fever risk in community members. The review results for the non-respiratory health outcomes were inconclusive because only a small number of studies were available or the between-study results were inconsistent. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD4201401052