A reference unit which facilitates the aggregation of livestock from various species and age as per convention, via the use of specific coefficients established initially on the basis of the nutritional or feed requirement of each type of animal (see table below for an overview of the most commonly used coefficients).
The reference unit used for the calculation of livestock units (=1 LSU) is the grazing equivalent of one adult dairy cow producing 3 000 kg of milk annually, without additional concentrated foodstuffs.
LU’s as derived from the LUCAS land use nomenclature (http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/other_documents/lucas/index.htm):
| Bovine animals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year old | 0,400 | |
| 1 but less than 2 years old | 0,700 | |
| Male, 2 years old and over | 1,000 | |
| Heifers, 2 years old and over | 0,800 | |
| Dairy cows | 1,000 | |
| Other cows, 2 years old and over | 0,800 | |
| Sheep and goats | 0,100 | |
| Equidae | 0,800 | |
| Pigs | Piglets having a live weight of under 20kg | 0,027 |
| Breeding sows weighing 50kg and over | 0,500 | |
| Other pigs | 0,300 | |
| Poultry | Broilers | 0,007 |
| Laying hens | 0,014 | |
| Ostriches | 0,350 | |
| Other poultry | 0,030 | |
| Rabbits, breeding feemales | 0,020 |