Nutrient Units for Nutrient Management Strategies and Nutrient Management Plans
What is a Nutrient Unit and How do I Calculate it?
A nutrient unit is a way to compare nutrient content in manure across different species of animals. 300 beef cows do not generate the same nutrients as 300 broilers. Want to know how many nutrient units you generate check out OMAFRA’s website.
The following table can be found on the OMAFRA website, click here or you can download the table _Nutrient_Unit_Reference_Table – Copy.
The nutrient units on your farm can be determined by taking the number of animals you have and dividing it by #Animals per NU found on the table below. For example if you have a farm with 20 Holstein cows, 40 heifers, 15 beef cows you would have
(20/0.55)+(40/2)+(15/1)=71.36NU
If you had 10,700 pullets in a barn you would have (10,700/150#animals per NU)=71.33NU
By using this method we have a way of determining the nutrient value produced on the farm. We can then take this information and apply these nutrients to the fields and determine if any extra fertilizer is needed to grow a successful crop.
Number of animals per Nutrient Unit on Farm Units Generating Manure
| Dairy cow (large-frame, 1200-1400 lbs, milking or dry, such as Holsteins) |
0.7 |
| Dairy heifers (large-frame, 400-1200 lbs such as Holsteins) |
2.0 |
| Dairy calves (large-frame, 100-400 lbs, such as Holsteins) |
6.0 |
| * Dairy cow (large-frame, 1200-1400 lbs, milking or dry (Holsteins); includes calves/heifers) |
*0.55 |
| Dairy cow (medium-frame, 1000-1200 lbs, milking or dry, such as Guernseys) |
0.85 |
| Dairy heifers (medium-frame, 325-1000 lbs, such as Guernseys) |
2.4 |
| Dairy calves (medium-frame, 85-325 lbs, such as Guernseys) |
7.0 |
| * Dairy cow (medium-frame, 1000-1200 lbs, milking or dry (Guernseys); includes calves/heifers) |
*0.66 |
| Dairy cow (small-frame, 800-1000 lbs, milking or dry, such as Jerseys) |
1.0 |
| Dairy heifers (small-frame, 275-800 lbs, such as Jerseys) |
2.9 |
| Dairy calves (small-frame, 65-275 lbs, such as Jerseys) |
8.5 |
| *Dairy cow (small-frame, 800-1000 lbs, milking or dry (such as Jerseys); includes calves/heifers |
*0.77 |
| Beef cows (includes unweaned calf and replacements) |
1.0 |
| Beef shortkeepers (900-1300 lbs) |
2.0 |
| Beef backgrounders (575-900 lbs) |
3.0 |
| Beef feeders (575-1250 lbs) |
3.0 |
| SEW (Segregated Early Weaning) Sows (lactating-aged sows, includes weaners to 15 lbs) |
3.33 |
| SEW Weaners (15-60 lbs) |
20.0 |
| Sow farrow-wean (lactating-aged sows, includes weaners to 60 lbs) |
2.5 |
| Finishing pigs (60-230 lbs) |
6.0 |
| Horses, large-framed (mature at>1500 lbs; inc unweaned foal) |
0.7 |
| Horses, medium-framed (mature at 500 – 1500 lbs; inc unweaned foal) |
1.0 |
| Horses, small-framed (mature at < 500 lbs; includes unweaned foal) |
2.0 |
| Laying hens (after 2.9 lbs pullet stage, until end of laying period at about 3.75 lbs) |
150 |
| Layer pullets (day-old pullets placed, raised to 2.9 lbs) |
500 |
| Chicken broilers, floor growing area (total square feet, regardless of quota cycle, or finishing weight) |
267 sq.ft |
| Turkey broiler/hen/tom growing space (total square feet, regardless of finishing weight) |
267 sq.ft |
| Chicken broiler breeder growers (females and males transferred out to layer barn) |
300 |
| Chicken broiler breeder layers (females and males transferred in from grower barn) |
100 |
| Sheep, breeding-aged ewes (sheep raised for meat production; includes lambs, replacements and rams) |
8.0 |
| Feeder lambs, 70 to 125 lbs |
20 |
| Sheep, milking-aged ewes (sheep raised for milk production; includes lambs, replacements and rams) |
6.0 |
| Goats, milking-aged goats (goats raised for milk production; includes kids, replacements and bucks) |
8.0 |
| Milk-fed, or grain-fed veal calves |
6.0 |