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Record Keeping Requirements and AOPA

Important Terms

Table 7.1.1 Key Terms and Definitions

Term Definition

Confined Feeding Operation (CFO)

Under AOPA, a CFO is defined as “fenced or enclosed land or buildings where livestock are confined for the purpose of growing, sustaining, finishing, or breeding by means other than grazing and any other building or structure directly related to that purposes but does not include residences, livestock seasonal feeding and bedding sites, equestrian stables, auctions markets, race tracks or exhibition grounds” (Standards and Administration Regulation under AOPA) .

In Alberta, specific manure management records must be kept in order to comply with the Standards and Administration Regulation under AOPA.

Who Must Keep Records?

AOPA record-keeping requirements apply only to CFOs and individuals who transfer, receive, or apply more than 500 tonnes (t) (or approximately 500,000 L) of manure per year. Operations or individuals must maintain these records for a minimum of five years.

A common question asked by producers is: how many animals or animal units produce 500 t. Table 7.1.2 provides the estimated number of animals (or birds) it would take to produce 500 t of manure if they were in a confined area on an as removed from the pen basis.

Determining Whether an Operation Exceeds the 500 t Threshold

An operation winters 325 cows and 25 bulls for approximately 175 days per year, with calving season beginning towards the end of the confinement period in late March or early April.

Total Amount of Manure Produced = Number of animal x Amount of Manure Produced per animal per day x Number of days the animals are confined Manure produced by cows = 325 cows x 5.9 kg manure per day x 175 days = 335,562.5 kg

Manure produced by bulls = 25 bulls × 5.9 kg manure produced/day × 175 days = 25,812.5 kg

Total annual manure production = 335,562.5 kg + 25,812.5 kg = 361,375 kg = 361 t

Based on this estimate, this operation collects and handles only 361 t of manure per year and is therefore exempt from the record keeping and soil testing requirements under AOPA.

AOPA record keeping requirements do not apply to grazing livestock. All livestock operations, however, are subject to the standards for manure collection, application and storage setback distances from neighbours and common bodies of water.

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