Automated manure agitation and transfer

A method of automatically transferring liquid manure from an intermediate holding receptacle to a lagoon, comprising:

• immersing a pump at least partially in the liquid manure in an intermediate holding receptacle, the receptacle having a full receptacle sensor, the pump comprising a directable agitation nozzle, a pump motor configured to move the liquid manure from the receptacle into the pump, a first valve configured to control liquid flow out of the pump into the lagoon and a second valve configured to control liquid flow out of the pump through the directable agitation nozzle into the receptacle;
• and,
• configuring an electronic controller in electronic communication with the pump with pre-programmed instructions to control the pump motor, first valve, second valve and directable nozzle,
• wherein the electronic controller:
• switches on the pump motor, ensures that the first valve is closed and ensures that the second valve is open in response to the electronic controller receiving a signal from the full receptacle sensor indicating that the liquid manure in the receptacle is at or exceeds a high level mark;
• directs the nozzle to at least two different locations in the receptacle to permit liquid manure pumped from the receptacle by the pump to be redirected to the at least two different locations in the receptacle to agitate the liquid manure in the receptacle for a predetermined period of time;
• and,
• opens the first valve after the predetermined period of time to permit the pump to pump the liquid manure from the receptacle out to the lagoon.