NRCS Practice Standard: Livestock Shelter Structure (576)

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NRCS Practice Standard: Livestock Shelter Structure (576)

About the Company:

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s primary private lands conservation agency. The NRCS helps producers protect and conserve natural resources on private lands through voluntary conservation programs. Through Practice Standards and technical guides, the NRCS provides information about the conservation, energy resources, and provides personalized advice to individual producers.

The NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides technical and financial assistance to producers as they implement NRCS Conservation Practice Standards.

Technical guides used in each field office are localized so that they apply specifically to the geographic area for which they are prepared. Thus, while national guidelines have been provided as a framework for each standard, each state has adopted and modified the conservation practice standards to suit their individual landscape.

To find a local NRCS Service center click here.

To find the specific guideline for each state click here.

About the Solution:

Livestock Shelter Structure (576)

A permanent or portable structure to protect animals from negative environmental factors.

Practice Information

A shelter structure is installed to protect livestock from negative environmental factors, such as excessive heat, wind, snow, or cold. This practice can improve the distribution of grazing animals to enhance wildlife habitat, reduce over-used areas, or correct other resource concerns resulting from improper animal distribution. Shelter structures are designed to address snowdrift, as shown in the photo above, or for high heat or over-used areas using mobile structures with light reduction shade cloth, depending on the negative environmental factors.

The design for shade structure will be based on livestock type and size, location, and shade cover type. Wind shelter structures can be of different shapes and sizes depending on the livestock type and zone to be protected.

Common Associated Practices

NRCS Conservation Practice Standard (CPS) Livestock Shelter Structure (Code 576) is commonly applied with other conservation practices such as:

  • Prescribed Grazing (Code 528)
  • Fence (Code 382)


  • To view the national NRCS standard for Livestock Shelter Structure please click here.

    Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC United States 1-833-ONE-USDA Visit Company Website

    Solution Type

    • General Support and Other

    Vendor

    • Others

    Product

    • Other

    Problem

    • Odor

    To view additional information about this vendor, click below.

    Solution Strengths, Weaknesses and Critical Indicators

    NOTE: There are multiple technologies that are used as part of integrated manure management systems and yet are not manure management types on their own. The impact of these technologies on their own would be minimal or very difficult to quantify.

    General Support & Other:

    • Can be an integral part of many manure management systems
    • Most projects have at least some equipment that supports operations of the main technology
    • This technology is not evaluated on its own, the NEAT Matrix for this technology is neutral unless utilized with other technologies.

    Newtrient Comments/Opinions:

    Newtrient is using the USDA-NRCS conservation practice standards as tools to assist dairy producers in understanding the standards and how they can be used to address resources concerns.

    To establish a Practice Standard a system or practice must be thoroughly vetted, approved, and standardized by the USDA at the federal and state level. These conservation practices have been developed to address various environmental resource concerns. Newtrient has developed a 9-point scoring process for ranking additives, practices, services, and technologies for the dairy industry. Recognizing the rigorous approval procedure used during the development of the NRCS Practice Standards, many of them score very highly and are worthy of consideration on any dairy where they apply.

    The information provided here is a summary of the selected conservation practices. For up to date and detailed information related to the full Practice Standards, please see the USDA NRCS website, linked above.

    Newtrient 9-Point Scoring Rating

    View the Scoring Page

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