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The documentation contains needed definitions
and data description. It also contains descriptions of the
types of tables that you can customize from the data.
Definitions
"d" indicates the data is withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operators.
Blank Cells indicate that there are too few observations to report or the data is not computable.
Confinement Types and Terms
All Animals include both confined and animals not confined.
Confined Animals include animals (feedlot beef, dairy cows, swine, poultry, and other cattle) such
that sufficient amounts of manure would accumulate requiring removal on a regular basis. Confinement
could be for the entire life cycle, a portion of the life cycle, or some portion of the year. Large-scale
operations for feedlot beef, swine, and poultry were assumed all confined. Other cattle were generally
assumed confined only a small part of the year. The portion of the year animals were confined was estimated
for each animal type on a state-level basis by USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) production
specialists.
Animals not confined include range cattle and animals of all types produced on small farms. All of
the animals were assumed non-confined on farms producing less than 15 fattened cattle, 20 dairy cows, 20
other beef and dairy cattle, 10 breeding hogs, 50 hogs for slaughter, 50 layers, 25 pullets, 100 broilers,
or 50 turkeys.
Animal Types and Terms
Feedlot beef also Fattened cattle is that portion of a beef animal's life cycle where it is fattened
on grain and concentrates before slaughter. Dairy cows also Milk cows are cows kept for milk production.
Other beef and dairy also all other cattle are the young beef animals before feedlot confinement, the
beef breeding herd, and the young dairy herd before the start of milk production.
Swine includes the breeding stock, growing, and feeding for slaughter.
Poultry includes all chickens (layers, broilers, and pullets), and all turkeys (breeding stock and
birds for slaughter).
Data Item Descriptions and Terms
An Animal Unit (AU) represents 1,000 pounds of live animal weight. It serves as a common unit for
aggregating animals across farms and across animal types. Animals per animal unit were 1.14 for fattened
cattle, 0.74 for dairy cows, 2.67 for breeding hogs, 9.09 for hogs for slaughter, 250 for layer chickens and
pullets more than 3 months old, 455 for broiler chickens and pullets less than 3 months old, 50 for turkeys
for breeding, and 67 for turkeys for slaughter. In the other beef and dairy category, the animals per animal
unit were 4.0 for beef and dairy calves less than 500 pounds, 1.73 for beef and dairy calves more than 500
pounds, 1.14 for beef replacement heifers, 0.94 for dairy replacement heifers, and 1.0 for beef breeding herds.
Manure as excreted represents manure before any type of nutrient or moisture loss occurs.
Dry Manure represents manure as excreted adjusted to zero water content.
Recoverable manure represents that portion of excreted manure that can be collected and applied to land
or used in alternative ways. It accounts for the losses of manure nutrients during collection, storage,
transfer, and treatment.
Data Description
These data are based on analysis of the data collected for the 1982, 1987, 1992, and 1997 Censuses of Agriculture
done by the Economic Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service in conjunction with the National
Agricultural Statistics Service. The methodology uses the number of animals sold and the end-of-year animal
inventory to compute the average number of Animal Units (AU) on each operation. Each AU represents 1,000 of live
animal weight and it serves as a common unit for aggregating.
Manure production was estimated, both "as-excreted" and that portion recoverable from confinement operations.
Estimates were based on the number of AU and standard manure production estimates by animal type. Recoverable
manure nutrients from confined farms adjusted the excreted quantities to reflect the portion of animals in
confinement and the losses of manure nutrients during collection, storage, transfer, and treatment. Farm-level
results were aggregated to states for presentation. (These data meet all respondent confidentiality assurances
that are required to publish Census of Agriculture values.)
Table Types
We have provided 7 standard table formats that should meet most user needs. To see an example of each type
click on the table type below. If you do not find the specific table you need, please contact us using the
e-mail addresses below. (We will consider adding your specific table format if we get several requests.) If you do not see a custom format suitable for your specific need all the data is available in a downloadable format under the "standard" tab.
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