Oregon State University has sold off all its dairy cows while making repairs to prevent the repeat of manure spills.
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Creative Commons/The Digital Story
CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Dairy Center at Oregon State University has sold its milking cows while it fixes its facilities to prevent a manure spill such as occurred there earlier this year.
The Corvallis Gazette-Times reports that the center is facing budget pressure, as well, and has been part of reorganization this year.
The sale of 120 milking cows raised $135,000. The animals went to dairies in Washington state and British Columbia.
Structural changes at the Dairy Center are expected to cost $250,000 to $300,000.
In April, a mechanical failure caused a break in an irrigation pipe used to spray water and manure onto fields that grow feed for the dairy cows. Liquefied manure spilled into nearby creek for more than two hours.
Dairying is expected to begin again in mid-2013.
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