Manure Digester
PitCharger's flagship product for monthly manure treatment. Contains up to 51 strains of bacteria.
Manure Digester is PitCharger's flagship product and the base of most treatment programs. It contains up to 51 strains of bacteria and is used for ongoing monthly treatment of manure pits and lagoons, helping restore biological activity so solids, crust, and other material break down instead of building up.
The problem it solves
Manure pits and lagoons are supposed to break material down on their own. In confinement, that process often stalls. Fiber from feed and bedding stops breaking down, floats into a crust or settles into hardpan, and the pit stratifies into a sealed lid, a dead bottom, and gas trapped between.
The costs show up everywhere at once. Storage capacity you paid to build is taken up by settled solids. Agitation runs longer and harder before a load is pumpable. Gas builds under the crust and comes out in slugs. And nutrients bound up in undigested material never reach a field where they have value.
Manure Digester is the product for that general condition: a pit or lagoon that is no longer keeping up. Specialty products handle high-fiber crusting, washout, odor, and feed spills; this is the one most operations run every month.
How it works
Manure Digester helps restore biological activity in the manure system when the existing population is no longer breaking down material effectively. It contains up to 51 strains of bacteria, selected to work across the different conditions in a pit or lagoon.
As material breaks down, solids become easier to suspend during agitation, crust weakens and moves back into the manure, and gas releases steadily rather than building under a cap. The goal is not to eliminate agitation; it is to improve the condition of the manure before you start.
In Iowa State testing, Manure Digester increased plant-available nitrogen by 21%. The treatment did not create additional nitrogen; it helped convert more of the existing nitrogen into a plant-available form.
What results look like
Most producers should notice a difference within the first month, with continued improvement through the second and third months. Significant results are normally measured after about six months. Odor can respond much faster, often within the first week.
What you can see depends on the manure system. In a shallow pit, change is often noticeable within the first month because the pit is checked and emptied more often. In a deep pit, treatment may be working below the surface long before the visible surface looks different.
Bottom solids reveal themselves at pump-out. Loads pump more easily and agitation reaches suspension sooner. A livestock producer in Mankato, Minnesota reported recovering approximately 200,000 gallons of usable lagoon capacity after treatment.
Specifications
| Form | Liquid |
|---|---|
| Bacteria | Up to 51 strains |
| Use | Ongoing monthly treatment of pits and lagoons |
| Nitrogen | 21% more plant-available nitrogen in Iowa State testing |
| Container sizes | 3-gallon and 5-gallon buckets |
| Shipping | UPS, Spee-Dee Delivery, or LTL freight |
| Typical rate | Hog: ~1 gallon per month per 1,000 head. Cattle and dairy: ~1 gallon per 75 animals |
| Results timeline | Most notice a difference in month one; significant results measured at about six months |
| Auto-Ship | Available — scheduled monthly delivery |
| Safety | Safe around cattle, horses, pets, children, and vegetation |
| On market since | 1998 |
Where it applies
- Deep pit, pull plug, and shallow pit hog barns
- Cattle barn pits and pumping stations
- Earthen lagoons and holding ponds
- Dairy lagoons, storage pits, and reception pits
- Any pit or lagoon that is no longer breaking material down
Dosing and shipping
PitCharger dosing is based on the number of animals and the type of manure system being treated. For hog operations, a common starting point is about one gallon per month per 1,000 head, so a 4,000-head finishing barn runs about four gallons a month. A common monthly rate for cattle and dairy is about one gallon per 75 animals. Rates are adjusted for pit design, loading, storage conditions, and the problem being treated, and lagoon rates may be adjusted based on the manure already in the lagoon and the amount expected to be added each month. That is why every program starts with a conversation rather than a shopping cart.
PitCharger ships by UPS, Spee-Dee Delivery, and LTL freight, depending on the size and destination of the order. Auto-Ship is available for customers who want scheduled monthly delivery. Most producers notice a difference within the first month; significant results are normally measured after about six months.
Manure Digester questions
Which PitCharger product has 51 strains of bacteria?
Manure Digester, PitCharger's flagship product, contains up to 51 strains of bacteria. The number applies to Manure Digester specifically, not to the whole product line. Other PitCharger products use different formulations for different problems.
Does it change the fertilizer value of manure?
In Iowa State testing, Manure Digester increased plant-available nitrogen by 21%. It did not create additional nitrogen; it helped convert more of the existing nitrogen into a plant-available form, so more of what you paid for in feed reaches the crop in the season you spread it.
Does it work in deep pits, shallow pits, pull-plug systems, and lagoons?
Yes. PitCharger products can be used across different manure systems, but the treatment plan and application method should be matched to the specific layout. We look at the pit or lagoon design, loading, pumping schedule, and the problem being treated.
How is this different from the other PitCharger products?
Manure Digester is the general monthly treatment. LTC-E is for higher-fiber manure and crusting, Crust Digester is the powdered product used during washout, N-Loc is for maximum odor reduction, and Feed Digester is for feed spills and concentrated organic material. The consultation determines which you need.
Is it safe with animals in the barn?
Yes. PitCharger products are described as safe around cattle, horses, pets, children, and vegetation. There is no need to move animals out to treat a pit.
Do I have to keep treating?
To hold results, yes. New fiber enters the pit continuously from feed and bedding, and monthly treatment keeps breakdown ahead of accumulation. Auto-Ship is available for scheduled monthly delivery.
Related
Products
- LTC-E: Liquid treatment for higher-fiber manure and crusting, monthly or as an amendment when a crust needs extra help
- N-Loc: For maximum odor reduction. Addresses odor-producing compounds in the system rather than masking them
- Feed Digester: For feed spills and concentrated organic material, including heavy grain buildup and feed islands