Mud and Manure
If you have livestock, you have to manage mud and manure.
Click here to watch an excellent webinar titled Managing Mud and Manure on Your Small Farm, hosted by Melissa Fery of OSU Extension Service Small Farms Program.
Sacrifice Areas
A practice highlighted in the webinar is the construction of a sacrifice area, a reinforced heavy use area to reduce mud, for example, near barns and watering troughs. Sacrifice areas keep animals cleaner and healthier, and protect the environment. Read more about sacrifice areas on this helpful webpage created by Washington State University Extension. Other great mud and manure management information links can be found lower on this page.
Resources
Many wonderful resources are available to help you maintain good quality pasture and reduce mud.
- Mud and Manure Fact Sheet
- Quick Tips and Ideas for Arena Footings
- Living on the Land Podcast Series: Episode 4 covers Manure and Mud Management, Oregon State University Extension Service
- Managing Small-Acreage Horse Farms in Western Oregon and Washington, Oregon State University Extension Service
- Appropriate All Weather Surfaces for Livestock, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension
- Using All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads, Iowa State University, $3.50 to download
- Living on the Land: Managing Manure, Oregon State University Extension Service
About the Author
Heath Keirstead
Heath Keirstead manages Benton SWCD’s Communications and Community Engagement as well as the Native Plant Program and Youth Education. She has a Master’s in Soil Science from Oregon State University. With a dual passion for people and the planet, she loves building relationships with partners, customers, volunteers, and students.
