Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 243.05

Current through October 28, 2024

Section NR 243.05 - Calculating animal units

(1) GENERAL. The total number of animal units at an operation shall be calculated using the methods in both subs. (2) and (3). The department shall compare the totals under both of these methods and shall use the highest calculated total to determine the size of an animal feeding operation. An owner or operator of an animal feeding operation shall use form 3400-25A for calculating the number of animal units present at the operation.

Note: In accordance with the definition in s. NR 243.03(4), animals included in the total count may be housed at more than one site or location.

Note: Form 3400-25A can be obtained at regional offices of the department or the department's Bureau of Watershed Management, 101 S. Webster St., P.O. Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin 53707.

(2) COMBINED ANIMAL UNITS. The number of animal units present at an operation shall be calculated by multiplying the number of animals for each animal type by the appropriate equivalency factor in Table 2A. The total number of animal units at the operation is the sum of the calculated animal unit numbers of all animal types present at the operation.

Note: Under the combined animal unit calculation, an operation with 400 animal units of milking cows, 300 animal units of heifers and 200 animal units of swine would have a total of 1000 animal units present.

(3) INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL UNITS. The number of animal units present at an operation shall be calculated by multiplying the number of animals for each animal type by the appropriate equivalency factor in Table 2B. The total number of animal units at an operation is the highest calculated number of animal units for any individual animal type.

Note: Under the individual animal unit calculation, an operation with 400 animal units of milking cows, 300 animal units of heifers and 200 animal units of swine would have 400 animal units present.

(4) OTHER ANIMAL TYPES. For animal types not listed in Table 2A, the department shall base equivalency to animal units on live animal weights, the characteristics of the manure, including nutrient content or pollutant concentration, or a combination of both. In cases based strictly on live weight, 1,000 pounds of live weight is equivalent to one animal unit.

TABLE 2A Combined Animal Unit Calculation Equivalencies
Animal Type	Combined Animal Equivalent of 1,000 Animal Units	Combined Animal Unit Equivalency Factor
Dairy Cattle:
Milking and Dry Cows	715	1.4
Heifers (800 to 1200 lbs)	910	1.1
Heifers (400 to 800 lbs)	1670	0.6
Calves (under 400 lbs)	5000	0.2
Veal Calves:
Per Animal	2000	0.5
Beef Cattle:
Steers or Cows (400 lbs to Mkt)	1000	1.0
Calves (under 400 lbs)	5000	0.2
Bulls	700	1.4
Swine:
Pigs (55 lbs to Mkt)	2500	0.4
Pigs (up to 55 lbs)	10000	0.1
Sows	2500	0.4
Boars	2000	0.5
Sheep:
Per Animal	10000	0.1
Horses:
Per Animal	500	2.0
Ducks:
Per Bird (Liquid poultry manure handling)	5000	0.2
Per Bird (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	100000	0.01
Chickens:
Per Bird (Liquid poultry manure handling)	3000	0.033
Layers (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	10000	0.01
Broilers and Pullets (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	200000	0.005
Turkeys:
Per Bird	55000	0.018

TABLE 2B Individual Animal Unit Calculation Equivalencies
Animal Type	Individual Animal Equivalent of 1,000 Animal Units	Individual Animal Unit Equivalency Factor
Dairy Cattle:
Milking and Dry Cows	700	1.43
Heifers (400 to 1200 lbs)	1000	1.0
Veal Calves:
Per Animal	1000	1.0
Beef Cattle:
Steers, Bulls or Cows (400 lbs to Mkt)	1000	1.0
Swine:
Pigs (55 lbs to Mkt)	2500	0.4
Pigs (up to 55 lbs)	10000	0.1
Sheep:
Per Animal	10000	0.1
Horses:
Per Animal	500	2.0
Ducks:
Per Bird (Liquid poultry manure handling)	5000	0.2
Per Bird (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	30000	0.0333
Chickens:
Per Bird (Liquid poultry manure handling)	30000	0.0333
Layers (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	82000	0.0123
Broilers and Pullets (Non-liquid poultry manure handling)	125000	0.008
Turkeys:
Per Bird	55000	0.018

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 243.05

CR 05-075: cr. Register April 2007 No. 616, eff. 7-1-07.