A manure removing apparatus for a freestall cattle barn, comprising a manure alley (1), a scraper (2) to be pulled along the manure alley, which gathers manure in front of itself for conveying the manure into a removing channel (3), a traction cable (4) attached to the scraper, a traction mechanism (5) for pulling the traction cable (4) and the scraper (2), a friction wheel (6) which is driven by the traction mechanism and over which the traction cable extends, a control device (8) for controlling operation of the traction mechanism (5), as well as means (9) for measuring the pulling force of the traction cable (4). The pulling force is adapted to be measured with a weighing sensor (9) which supplies the control device (8) with information about the pulling force. At least one end of the traction cable (4) is attached to the scraper (2) through the intermediary of an automatic traction cable tensioning unit (10). The tensioning unit (10) is adapted to conduct automatically the tensioning of the traction cable
