Does size matter? Animal units and animal unit months

Lamar Smith; Joe Hicks; Scott Lusk; Mike Hemmovich; Shane Green; Sarah McCord; Mike Pellant; John Mitchell; Judith Dyess; Jim Sprinkle; Amanda Gearhart; Sherm Karl; Mike Hannemann; Ken Spaeth; Jason Karl; Matt Reeves; Dave Pyke; Jordan Spaak; Andrew Brischke; Del Despain; Matt Phillippi; Dave Weixelmann; Alan Bass; Jessie Page; Lori Metz; David Toledo; Emily Kachergis

doi:10.1016/j.rala.2016.12.002

Author(s):

Lamar Smith

Joe Hicks

Scott Lusk

Mike Hemmovich

Shane Green

Sarah McCord

Mike Pellant

John Mitchell

Judith Dyess

Jim Sprinkle

Amanda Gearhart

Sherm Karl

Mike Hannemann

Ken Spaeth

Jason Karl

Matt Reeves

Dave Pyke

Jordan Spaak

Andrew Brischke

Del Despain

Matt Phillippi

Dave Weixelmann

Alan Bass

Jessie Page

Lori Metz

David Toledo

Emily Kachergis

Year:

2017

Publication type:

Scientific Journal (JRNL)

Primary Station(s):

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2016.12.002

Source:

Rangelands. 39(1): 17-19.

Download PDF (118.0 KB)

Description

The concepts of animal units, animal unit months, and animal unit equivalents have long been used as standards for range management planning, estimating stocking rates, reporting actual use, assessing grazing fees, ranch appraisal, and other purposes. Increasing size of cattle on rangelands has led some to suggest that the definition of animal units and animal unit months requires revision. Range managers need to understand these concepts and arbitrarily changing them would lead to confusion. The Rangeland Assessment and Monitoring Committee reviewed this issue and concluded that the existing definitions are adequate to accommodate increasing size of cattle.

Keywords

animal unit

animal unit month

animal unit equivalent

stocking rates

forage requirement

cow weights

Citation

Smith, Lamar; Hicks, Joe; Lusk, Scott; Hemmovich, Mike; Green, Shane; McCord, Sarah; Pellant, Mike; Mitchell, John; Dyess, Judith; Sprinkle, Jim; Gearhart, Amanda; Karl, Sherm; Hannemann, Mike; Spaeth, Ken; Karl, Jason; Reeves, Matt; Pyke, Dave; Spaak, Jordan; Brischke, Andrew; Despain, Del; Phillippi, Matt; Weixelmann, Dave; Bass, Alan; Page, Jessie; Metz, Lori; Toledo, David; Kachergis, Emily. 2017. Does size matter? Animal units and animal unit months. Rangelands. 39(1): 17-19.

Cited

Publication Notes

View XML