Livestock Intensity Standards

Cow/Calf

This operation is in the business of raising beef for sale to either processors or other operators as breeding stock. These include purebred operations as well as the commercial breeder who sells calves to the local livestock markets. Some small operators may lease or borrow a bull to impregnate their cows rather than keeping a bull year-round.

Requirements:

4 animal units (AU)

15 acres (Minimum required acreage to support 4 AU) (pertains to acreage devoted only to the cow/calf operation)

Typical Management Practices:

• Adequate fences maintained
• Stock water provided
• Systematic practices for
  • Herd management
  • Marketing animals
• Record keeping
• Proper land management to provide long-term forage
• Adequate animal units matching the carrying capacity of the land and typical agricultural operations

Stocker and Feeder Calf

This operation is in the business of raising beef for processors or for the feedlot. It involves acquiring calves at a certain weight from cow and calf operators or the livestock auction and raising the calves until they grow large enough for the feedlot or for slaughter or are sold as replacement breeding heifers. Both heifers and steer calves are found in these types of operations with steers being the most common sex when sold for slaughter or to a feedlot.

Requirements:

4 animal units (AU)

15 acres (Minimum required acreage to support 4 AU) (pertains to acreage devoted only to the stocker and feeder calf operation)

Typical Management Practices:

• Adequate fences maintained
• Stock water provided
• Systematic practices for
  • Herd management
  • Marketing animals
• Record keeping
• Proper land management to provide long-term forage
• Adequate animal units matching the carrying capacity of the land and typical agricultural operations

Horse

This type of operation is usually limited to breeding operations. A breeding operation involves having brood mares and either a stud (stallion) on location or using artificial insemination for breeding the mares. This type of operation may involve intensive training of colts or fillies and may involve any number of breeds as it is not limited to only Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse breeds.

Requirements:

3 animal units (AU)

10 acres (Minimum required acreage to support 3 AU) (pertains to acreage devoted only to the horse operation)

Typical Management Practices:

• Adequate fences maintained
• Stock water provided
• Systematic practices for
  • Herd management
  • Marketing animals
• Record keeping
• Breeding records
• Registration Paperwork
• Proper land management to provide long-term forage
• Adequate animal units matching the carrying capacity of the land and typical agricultural operations

Sheep

This operation is in the business of providing two products, wool, which is produced from the fleece of the animal, and meat, being either lamb or mutton. Sheep operations may be purebred or commercial in nature. Purebred operations are normally in the business of producing wool, meat or animals to sell to other producers as breeding stock. A commercial operation would not require any particular breed and may be in the business of meat production only.

Requirements:

3 animal units (AU)

10 acres (Minimum required acreage to support 3 AU) (pertains to acreage devoted only to the sheep operation)

Typical Management Practices:

• Adequate fences maintained
• Stock water provided
• Systematic practices for
  • Herd management
  • Marketing animals
• Record keeping
• Proper land management to provide long-term forage
• Adequate animal units matching the carrying capacity of the land and typical agricultural operations

Goat

This operation is in the business of producing primarily three products, being mohair, meat, and milk. Typical mohair production is usually limited to the Angora breed, although there has been some Cashmere goat breeding in the area which may be sheared for their hair. The Nubian and other similar breeds are milk producers. This milk is sold for human consumption or fed to orphan goats or sheep. This breed of milk goat is usually referred to as Spanish Goats. Most other breeds are involved in the production of meat called cabrito which is the meat from a young kid goat. The Boer Goat breed from South Africa has recently been introduced as a meat producer. This breed has been interbred with many of the Spanish as well as the Nubian goat herds in the area to increase the size of the animals. There are some producers that breed the pure Boer Goats for sale to other producers for breeding.

Requirements:

3 animal units (AU)

10 acres (Minimum required acreage to support 3 AU) (pertains to acreage devoted only to the goat operation)

Typical Management Practices:

• Adequate fences maintained
• Stock water provided
• Systematic practices for
  • Herd management
  • Marketing animals
• Record keeping
• Proper land management to provide long-term forage
• Adequate animal units matching the carrying capacity of the land and typical agricultural operations.

Tracts with too little acreage to meet minimum intensity standards

A property that is too small to support the minimum animal unit (AU) requirement may still be eligible to qualify if it meets the following requirements:

• Property must be adjacent and leased to a larger qualified operation (written lease must be provided)
• Property must be large enough to support an additional 2 AU
• Property must be 7.5 acres (pertains to acreage devoted only to the livestock operation)