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 Feedlot
runoff contains extremely large loads of nutrients and oxygen demanding
substances, and if not properly collected and prevented from entering
surface waters, this runoff can severely degrade surface water quality.
The impacts on surface water
quality and aquatic life from manure lagoon and storage basin spills,
feedlot runoff, and applications of manure to frozen ground can be devastating.
The number of documented serious
water quality pollution problems involving manure lagoon spills and feedlot
runoff is generally several tens of events per year in each of the states
with high concentrations of feedlots.
There have been 14 documented
incidents of cryptosporidium disease outbreaks in U.S. and Canada since
1984. Four of these events were linked to nonpoint source agricultural
pollution, the others were primarily caused by septic tank and human sewage
contamination.
Animals located where their
waste has a direct pathway for runoff losses to surface waters have a
much greater potential to degrade water quality than animals located away
from these direct pathways or on pasture land.
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Recently, Hennepin
Parks and the Hennepin Conservation District have initiated feedlot
studies in the Lake Independence watershed using grant monies
from the Metropolitan Council. The project, Reducing Non-Point Source
Pollution from Backyard Livestock, will
1. Educate livestock
owners about problems associated with small livestock operations,
(less than 50 animal units, see below for a definition)
2. Locate project
sites by providing free soil testing of pasture and hayland on a
voluntary basis,
3. Provide technical
assistance to livestock owners to properly manage their feedlots,
and
4. Provide cost-share
funds for project implementation. Possible best management practices
(BMP's) include having a cooperatively owned manure spreader, constructing
roofed storage facilities etc., and establishing a manure hauling
service for livestock owners who have no other environmentally sound
manure management option. Promotion of the project will occur through
newsletters, newspaper articles, displays, presentations and workshops,
and by offering free pasture and cropland soil testing, with samples
collected by the Lake Independence Homeowners Association.
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What is an
animal unit?
An animal unit
(au) is calculated by multiplying the number of animals by the factors
shown below. It is defined by federal and state regulations. See
also (Minnesota Rules 7020.0300 subp 5 - page 7) and the current
Minnesota
Feedlot Rules . The
table below is based on the rules as of February 2002.
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| 1
slaughter steer or stock cow |
1.0
au |
1
chicken > 5 lbs |
0.005
au |
| 1
feeder cattle or heifer |
0.7
au |
1
chicken < 5 lbs |
0.003
au |
| 1
cow and calf pair |
1.2
au |
1
turkey > 5 lbs |
0.018
au |
| 1
calf |
0.2
au |
1
turkey < 5 lbs |
0.005
au |
| 1
swine > 300 lbs |
0.4
au |
1
duck |
0.01
au |
| 1
swine 55 to 300 lbs |
0.3
au |
1
sheep or lamb |
0.1
au |
| 1
swine < 55 lbs |
0.05
au |
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| 1
horse |
1.0
au |
au
= avg wt lbs/1000 lbs |
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Information provided by the
University of Minnesota and the Minnesota
Planning Agency.
Find more information here.
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