{{Short description|Measure of the number of livestock in relation to the area used for them}} '''Livestock grazing comparison''' is a method of comparing the numbers and density of [[livestock]] [[grazing]] in [[agriculture]]. Various units of measurement are used, usually based on the grazing equivalent of one adult [[cow]], or in some areas on that of one sheep. Many different schemes exist, giving various values to the grazing effect of different types of animal.
==Use==
Livestock grazing comparison units are used for assessing the overall effect on grazing land of different types of animals (or of mixtures of animals), expressed either as a total for a whole field or farm, or as units per [[hectare]] (ha) or [[acre]]. For example, using UK government Livestock Units (LUs) from the 2003 scheme<ref name=UK2003/> a particular {{convert|10|ha|acre|abbr=on|adj=on}} pasture field might be able to support 15 adult cattle or 25 horses or 100 sheep: in that scheme each of these would be regarded as being 15 LUs, or 1.5 LUs per hectare (about 0.6 LUs per acre).
Different species (and breeds) of livestock do not all graze in the same way, and this is also taken into account when deciding the appropriate number of units for grazing land. For example, horses naturally graze unevenly, eating short grass areas first and only grazing longer turf if there is insufficient short grass; cattle graze longer grass preferentially, tending to produce a uniform sward; goats tend to browse shrubs if these are available. As these feeding styles are complementary, a pasture may therefore support slightly more units of mixed species than of each species separately. Another consequence of different grazing styles is variation between species in the number of units that can lead to [[overgrazing]] – for example, horses may overgraze the short parts of a pasture even when taller grass is still available.
Livestock grazing comparison units are used by many governments to measure and control the intensity of farming. For example, until 2004 the UK Government had an [[Extensive agriculture|extensification]] scheme which paid additional [[subsidy]] to farmers who kept their livestock at less than an average of 1.4 LUs per hectare.<ref name=UK2003>''Cattle Scheme Literature: Notes for Guidance 2003'', UK Rural Payments Agency, 2003 (pp 11 & 25)</ref>
==Schemes==
Although different schemes have similar aims, they vary in complexity and detail. For example, some schemes give no value to a young calf, but an additional value to a cow together with her calf at foot. Some give values to different-sized animals of the same species, or different values to the same species in different regions. Most schemes use a calculation based on the weight of the animal. Some use figures for animals of different sizes which are directly proportional to their weight – for example the 2006 UK Government scheme uses a figure for ruminants of the animal's weight (in kilograms) divided by 650.<ref name=UK2006/> Others include an adjustment for the proportionally higher metabolic rate of smaller animals, according to [[Kleiber's law]], which states that the metabolic rate of most animals varies according to their weight raised to the power of approximately 0.75. For example, the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]]'s Tropical Livestock Unit is based on the weight of the animal raised to the power of 0.75, compared with the equivalent figure for a "tropical cow" of {{Convert|250|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name=FAO3/>
The following is a summary of some schemes in common use, using the most closely comparable categories: {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;" ! Unit ! width="100pt" |Livestock Unit: UK government 2006 <ref name=UK2006>[http://www.defra.gov.uk/rds/publications/technical/tan_33.pdf Chesterton, Chris, ''Revised Calculation of Livestock Units for Higher Level Stewardship Agreements, Technical Advice Note 33'' (Second edition), Rural Development Service, 2006] (Table figures for unlisted ruminants calculated from weights given in relevant Wikipedia articles) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626001539/http://www.defra.gov.uk/rds/publications/technical/tan_33.pdf |date=June 26, 2007 }}</ref> ! width="100pt"|Livestock Unit: The John Nix Farm Management Pocketbook<ref>Nix, J. 2009. ''Farm Management Pocketbook''. 39th Ed. Corby: The Andersons Centre.</ref> ! width="100pt"|[[Animal unit]]<ref>Jasper Womach, ''Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition'' {{cite web|url=http://ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/05jun/97-905.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-12-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212033139/http://ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/05jun/97-905.pdf |archivedate=2011-02-12 }} </ref> ! width="100pt"|[[FAO]] Livestock Unit (North America)<ref name=FAO1>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/8/chil18117.htm |title=P Chilonda and J Otte, Indicators to monitor trends in livestock production at national, regional and international levels, ''Livestock Research for Rural Development'', '''18''' (8), 2006, Article #117 |access-date=2010-09-08 |archive-date=2022-03-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308125233/http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/8/chil18117.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=FAO2>[ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/j0945e/j0945e00.pdf ''Compendium of Agricultural-Environmental Indicators'', Annexe 2: Definitions, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (includes different values for various regions)]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> ! width="100pt"|FAO Livestock Unit (Sub-Saharan Africa)<ref name=FAO1/><ref name=FAO2/> ! width="100pt"|Tropical Livestock Unit (''Unité Bovin Tropical'')<ref name=FAO3>[http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/lead/toolbox/Mixed1/TLU.htm FAO paper about Tropical Livestock Units] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223202019/http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/lead/toolbox/Mixed1/TLU.htm |date=2011-02-23 }}</ref> ! width="100pt"|''Unité de Gros Bétail'', Livestock Unit<ref>[http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/910_91/app1.html ''Coefficients de conversion des animaux en unités de gros bétail'' (French)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011082201/http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/910_91/app1.html |date=2012-10-11 }}: Conversion factors for livestock units.</ref><ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/envir/report/fr/lex_fr/report.htm ''La Commission Européen: Agriculture et Environnement'' (French)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102003214/http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/envir/report/fr/lex_fr/report.htm |date=2010-01-02 }} [http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/envir/report/en/lex_en/report_en.htm European Commission, Agriculture and Environment (English version)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319014334/http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/envir/report/en/lex_en/report_en.htm |date=2016-03-19 }}.</ref> ! width="100pt"|[[Dry Sheep Equivalent]]<ref>[http://www.agronomy.com.au/download/DSEratings.pdf McLaren, Colin, ''Agriculture Note AG0590: Dry sheep equivalents for comparing different classes of livestock'', State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, 1997.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517054725/http://www.agronomy.com.au/download/DSEratings.pdf |date=2011-05-17 }}</ref> ! width="100pt"|Ewe Equivalent, Stock Unit or Livestock Unit<ref>[http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/best-management-practices/reassessment-of-the-stock-management-system/re-assessment-of-stock-unit-system03.htm Cornforth, I S and Sinclair, A G, ''Fertiliser Recommendations for Pastures and Crops in New Zealand'', 2nd Ed (New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture, Wellington, New Zealand, 1984), quoted in ''A History of the Stock Unit System'', New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523160657/http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/best-management-practices/reassessment-of-the-stock-management-system/re-assessment-of-stock-unit-system03.htm |date=2010-05-23 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ruralfind.co.nz/livestock-units-data.html New Zealand Livestock Units on Ruralfind] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525233351/http://www.ruralfind.co.nz/livestock-units-data.html |date=2010-05-25 }}</ref> |- Align="center" | Align="left"| Abbreviation | LU, LSU | LU, LSU | AU | | | TLU, UBT | UGB, LU | DSE | EE, LSU |- Align="center" | Align="left"| Region | UK | UK | US | North America | Sub-Saharan Africa | Tropics | Europe | Australia | New Zealand |- Align="center" | Align="left"| Unit equivalent to | Dairy cow | Dairy cow | Beef cow | | | Tropical cow | Dairy cow producing {{Convert|3000|l|usgal|abbr=on}} milk | 2-year-old dry Merino sheep | Ewe with one lamb |- | align="left"| Weight equivalent of one unit | {{Convert|650|kg|abbr=on}} | | {{Convert|455|kg|abbr=on}} | | |{{Convert|250|kg|abbr=on}} |{{Convert|600|kg|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|45|kg|abbr=on}} | {{Convert|55|kg|abbr=on}} |- | align="left"| Dairy cow | 1.00 | 1.00 | | 1.00 | 0.50 | 0.70 | 1.00 | 20.0 | 8.0 |- | align="left"| Dry medium beef cow | 0.70 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.50 | | 0.80 | 8.0 | 6.3 |- | align="left"| Medium beef cow suckling | 0.90 | 0.80 | | 1.00 | 0.50 | | | 18.0 | |- | align="left"| Calf under 6 months | 0.00 | 0.34 | | | | | 0.10 | 0.0 | 2.5 |- | align="left"| Cow and unweaned calf | 0.90 | 1.14 | | | | | 0.90 | 18.0 | 8.8 |- | align="left"| Heifer or steer under 1 year | 0.60 | 0.34 | | | | | 0.30 | 10.0 | |- | align="left"| Heifer or steer under 2 years | 0.60 | 0.65 | 0.80 | | | | 0.40 | 12.0 | 4.5 |- | align="left"| Heifer or steer over 2 years | 0.70 | 0.80 | | | | | 0.60 | 9.0 | 6.0 |- | align="left"| Bull | 0.90 | 0.65 | | 1.00 | 0.50 | | 0.60 | 10.0 | 6.0 |- | align="left"| [[Horse]] | 1.00 | 0.80 | 1.20 | 0.80 | 0.80 | | 0.70 | <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/9e58661e880ba9e44a256c640023eb2e/050ff10eb1da4293ca256f1f001fb6b3/$FILE/AG1052.pdf |title=Horse stocking rates in Dry Sheep Equivalents |access-date=2008-10-20 |archive-date=2008-08-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803222933/http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nreninf.nsf/9e58661e880ba9e44a256c640023eb2e/050ff10eb1da4293ca256f1f001fb6b3/$FILE/AG1052.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> 10.0 | |- | align="left"| Medium [[sheep]] | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.20 | 0.15 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.17 | 1.0 | 1.0 |- | align="left"| [[Goat]] | 0.10 | 0.16 | | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.17 | <ref>[http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DPI/nreninf.nsf/v/63D1D505256BA787CA257411000B7CB0/$file/A_Guide_to_the_Grazing_Requirements_of_Fibre_and_Meat_Goats.pdf McGregor, Bruce, ''Agriculture Note AG0998: A Guide to the Grazing Requirements of Fibre and Meat Goats'', State of Victoria, Department of Primary Industries, 2007]</ref> 1.0 | 2.0 |- | align="left"| [[Bison]] | 1.10 | | | | | | 0.80 | | |- | align="left"| [[domestic buffalo|Water buffalo]] | 0.70 | | | 1.00 | 0.50 | | 0.80 | | |- | align="left"| [[Llama]] | 0.25 | 0.45 | | | | | 0.17 | | |- | align="left"| [[Camel]] | 0.75 | | | 1.10 | 1.10 | 1.00 | | | |- | align="left"| [[Pig]] | | 0.20 | | 0.25 | 0.20 | | 0.26 | | |- |}
=== Central Europe === The size of a livestock farm in Central Europe was traditionally given in ''Stößen'' (singular: ''Stoß'') This unit of measurement was subsequently replaced by the grazing livestock unit or ''Großvieheinheit'' (GV).
==== ''Stoß'' ==== The ''Stoß'' is a unit of cattle stock density used in the [[Alps]]. For each [[Alpine pasture|Alm or Alp]] it is worked out how many ''Stoß'' (Swiss: ''Stössen'') can be grazed ''(bestoßen)''; one cow equals one ''Stoß'', 3 bulls equal 2 ''Stöße'', a calf is {{frac|1|4}} ''Stoß'', a horse of 1, 2 or 3 years old is worth 1, 2 or 3 ''Stöße'', a pig equals {{frac|1|4}}, a goat or a sheep is {{frac|1|5}} ''Stoß''.
In Switzerland a ''Normalstoß'' is defined as a ''Großvieheinheit'' that is "summered" for 100 days.<ref>[http://www.casalp.ch/aktuell/glossar.html ''Glossary''.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120715045947/http://www.casalp.ch/aktuell/glossar.html |date=2012-07-15 }} Casalp.</ref> For small livestock there are corresponding conversions. Depending on the quality of the Alp or Alm a full ''Stoß'' may require between 1/2 [[hectare|ha]] and 2 ha.
The ''Stoß'' is divided into feet or ''Füße''. A full ''Stoß'' is the pasture required by a cow, and equals 4 ''Füße''. Bulls, calves, etc., are a fraction of that, e.g. a one-year old bull needs 2 ''Füße''.
==== ''Großvieheinheit'' ==== A ''Großvieheinheit'' (GV or GVE) is a conversion key used to compare different farm animals on the basis of their live weight. A ''Großvieheinheit'' represents 500 kilogrammes (roughly the weight of an adult bull). In the wild it excludes small animals like amphibians and insects, but is used for game in forestry and hunting.
Examples are: * [[Calf (animal)|Calf]] 50–100 kg = 0.1–0.2 GV * Young [[Dairy|milk cow]] 450–650 kg = 0.9–1.3 GV * Milk cow = 1 GV * [[Domestic horse|Horse]] = 0.8–1.5 GV * [[Boar]] = 0.3 GV * [[Domestic pig]] = 0.12 GV * [[Piglet (animal)|Piglet]] = 0.01 GV * [[Domestic sheep|Sheep]] = 0.1 GV * 100 [[Chicken]]s = 0.8–1 GV * 320 egg-laying [[chicken]]s = 1 GV
A more precise unit is the "fodder-consuming livestock unit" or ''[[Raufutter verzehrende Großvieheinheit]]'' (RGV), which corrects the value above based on the demands of a given species and direct, near-natural supply of food (fibre-rich [[roughage]]) without [[fodder|concentrates]].
The "tropical livestock unit" or (''tropische Vieheinheit'') or TLU is based on a live weight of 250 kg.<ref>''[http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/lead/toolbox/Mixed1/TLU.htm Tropical Livestock Units (TLU)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110223202019/http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/lead/toolbox/Mixed1/TLU.htm |date=2011-02-23 }}.'' Paper about livestock units from Livestock and Environment Toolbox. [[FAO]] (auf fao.org).</ref><ref>P. Chilonda, J. Otte: ''[http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/8/chil18117.htm Indicators to monitor trends in livestock production at national, regional and international levels.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308125233/http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd18/8/chil18117.htm |date=2022-03-08 }}'' In: ''Livestock Research for Rural Development'' 18 (8), 2006, Article #117 (auf lrrd.org).</ref>
== Aquaculture and hunting == Analogous units are : * [[Fish population]] (''Fischbesatz'') in [[fishing]], is a measure of the stock of fish in a waterbody * [[Game population]] (''Wildbesatz''), in [[hunting]] is the stock of game in a reserve<ref>[http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Besatz#b2-Bedeutung-2c ''Besatz, Begriffsunterteilung''.] duden.de</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/ilri/x5543b/x5543b14.htm FAO discussion paper, explaining relationship between LSU, UBT and UGB.]
[[Category:Livestock]] [[Category:Agricultural research]] [[Category:Equivalent units]]