# The Nutrient Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2019, Schedule 2: Criteria for nutrient management

Extent: N.I.

Table 1a
Regulations 9 and 20 – Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates for grazing livestock
Livestock type
Nitrogen (N) produced per head per year(kg N/yr)
Phosphorus (P) produced per head per year(kg P/yr)
Cattle
Dairy cow
100
19
Dairy heifer (over 2 years)
45
8.3
Dairy heifer (1 – 2 years)
39
7.2
Beef suckler cow (over 2 years)
52
9.6
Bull kept wholly or mainly for breeding
52
9.6
Cattle (over 2 years)
45
8.3
Cattle ( 1 – 2 years)
39
7.2
Bull beef (0 – 13 months)
30
7.5
Bull beef (6 – 13 months)
23
5.8
Calf (0 – 1 year)
19
4.7
Calf (0 – 6 months)
7.0
1.7
Calf (6 – 12 months)
12
3.0
Sheep
Ewe (over 1 year)
9.0
1.0
Ram (over 1 year)
9.0
1.0
Lamb (0 – 6 months)
1.2
0.3
Lamb (6 – 12 months)
3.2
0.3
Lamb (0 – 1 year)
4.4
0.6
Deer
Deer (red) 6 months – 2 years
12
2.0
Deer (red) over 2 years
15
4.0
Deer (fallow) 6 months – 2 years
7.0
1.0
Deer (fallow) over 2 years
13
2.0
Deer (sika) 6 months – 2 years
6.0
1.0
Deer (sika) over 2 years
10
2.0
Horses
Horse (over 3 years)
50
9.0
Horse ( 2 – 3 years)
44
8.0
Horse (1 - 2 years)
36
6.0
Horse (under 1 year)
25
3.0
Donkey or small pony
30
5.0
Goats
Milking goats
15
1.7
Non milking goat
9.0
1.0
Kid (0 – 1 year)
4.4
0.6
Kid (6 – 12 months)
3.2
0.3
Kid (0 – 6 months)
1.2
0.3
Table 1b
Regulation 9 – Nitrogen and phosphorus (P) excretion rates for pigs
1 Breeding sows includes served gilts, dry and lactating sows and piglets to weaning.
Livestock type
Nitrogen (N) produced per head per year (kg N/yr)
Phosphorus (P) produced per head per year (kg P/yr)
Adults pigs
Boar
18
4.2
Maiden gilt
11
5.7
Breeding sow1
16
8.7
Nitrogen (N) produced per pig
(kg N)
Phosphorus (P) produced per pig
(kg P)
Pigs weaned at 3 – 4 weeks
Approximate start weight (kg)
Approximate sale or transfer weight (kg)
6 – 8
18 (7.5 weeks)
0.09
0.08
6 – 8
35 (11 weeks)
0.38
0.23
6 – 8
105 (23 weeks)
2.38
1.09
Growing and finishing pigs
Approximate start weight (kg)
Approximate sale or transfer weight (kg)
18
35
0.29
0.15
18
105
2.30
1.00
35
105
2.00
0.85
Table 1c
Regulation 9 – Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates for poultry
1 Male and female turkeys
Livestock type
Nitrogen (N) produced per 1000 birds per crop(kg N)
Phosphorus (P) produced per 1000 birds per crop(kg P)
Broilers – hot water heating
33.8
7.0
Conventional broilers
40
8.4
Free range broilers
44.9
11.4
Turkeys1 0 – 6 weeks
229
55
Turkeys1 6 weeks – kill
305
73.8
Turkeys1 0 – kill
534
129
Fattening ducks
139
65
Livestock type
Nitrogen (N) produced per 1000 birds per crop(kg N)
Phosphorus (P) produced per 1000 birds per crop(kg P)
Broilers – hot water heating
33.8
7.0
Broiler breeders 0 – 18 weeks
2.9
2.0
Broiler breeders 18 – 60 weeks
7.2
3.9
Broiler breeders 0 – 60 weeks
5.9
3.3
Pullets
4.7
1.7
Layers
12
4.6
Free range laying hens
5.4
2.2
Table 2
Regulations 3, 9 and 13 – Total nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents of fertilisers and proportion of total phosphorus to total nitrogen (all on a fresh weight basis)
1 Figures in bold are the most common values.
2 For calculation purposes assume 1m3 of slurry weighs 1 tonne
Liquid / slurry manure types
Dry matter content (%)
Total Nitrogen (N) content by volume(kg N/m3)12
Total phosphorus (P) content by volume(kg P/m3)12
Proportion of total phosphorus to total nitrogen
Liquids
Dirty water
0.5
0.5
0.04
0.08
Cattle slurries
Cattle slurry
2
1.6
0.26
0.16
6
2.6
0.52
0.20
10
3.6
0.79
0.22
Separated cattle slurries (liquid portion)
Strainer box
1.5
1.5
0.13
0.09
Weeping wall
3
2.0
0.22
0.11
Mechanical Separator
4
3.0
0.52
0.17
Pig slurries
Pig slurry
2
3.0
0.35
0.12
4
3.6
0.65
0.18
6
4.4
0.96
0.22
Separated pig slurry (liquid portion)
3
3.6
0.48
0.13
Solid manure type
Dry matter content (%)
Total nitrogen content by weight(kg N/t)
Total phosphorus content by weight(kg P/t)
Proportion of total phosphorus to total nitrogen
Poultry manures
Broiler – hot water heating
72
33.8
7.0
0.21
Free range broilers 0 – kill
57
26.4
6.7
0.25
Broiler breeders 0 – 18 weeks
55
17.5
11.8
0.67
Broiler breeders 18 – 60 weeks
60
20.7
11.0
0.53
Broiler breeders 0 – 60 weeks
59
20.2
11.2
0.56
Conventional broiler
66
33
7.0
0.21
Turkeys 0 – 6 weeks
58
24.8
6.0
0.24
Turkeys 6 – kill
58
24.8
6.0
0.24
Turkeys 0 – kill
58
24.8
6.0
0.24
Pullets
72
32.7
12.0
0.37
Layer
30
16
5.7
0.36
Free range laying hens
46
18.8
7.5
0.40
Duck
25
6.5
2.4
0.37
Farmyard manures
Cattle manures
25
6.0
1.4
0.23
Sheep manures
25
7.0
1.4
0.20
Goat manures
40
9.5
2.0
0.21
Pig manures
25
7.0
2.6
0.37
Horse manures
25
5.0
2.2
0.44
Miscellaneous manures
Spent mushroom compost
35
8.0
1.5
0.19
Separated cattle slurry (solid portion)
20
4.0
0.87
0.22
Separated pig slurry (solid portion)
20
5.0
1.60
0.32
Other organic manures
Dry matter content, total nitrogen content and total phosphorus content to be declared in accordance with the Waste Regulations. Proportion of phosphorus to total nitrogen to be calculated from these analyses.
Chemical fertiliser
Dry matter content, total nitrogen content and total phosphorus content as certified by the producers. Proportion of total phosphorus to total nitrogen to be calculated from these analyses.
Table 3
Regulation 9 – Nitrogen availability in organic manures and chemical fertilisers
Fertiliser
Nitrogen availability (%)
Chemical
100
Pig slurry
50
Poultry litter
30
Farmyard manure
30
Cattle slurry
40
Spent mushroom compost
20
Other organic manures
40
Table 4
Regulation 10 – Nitrogen application standards for grassland crops
1 This table does not imply any departure from regulation 9(1) which prohibits the application to the agricultural area on a holding of livestock manure in amounts which exceeds 170 kg N/ha/yr, including that deposited by the animals themselves.
2 The dairy cattle figures (dairy cows and heifer replacements) apply where it can be demonstrated that more than 50% of the livestock manure applied to the agricultural area, both by land application and by the animals themselves, arises from dairy cattle. In all other cases the figures for other livestock will apply.
Dairy Cattle2
Other livestock2
Balance of crop nitrogen requirement (kg N/ha/yr) (e.g. from chemical fertiliser or organic nitrogen supply other than livestock manure)1
272
222
Table 5
Regulation 11 – Maximum permitted nitrogen application and standard yields for cereal crops
1 For all crops in the table, an additional 20 kg N/ha is permitted for every tonne that the expected yield exceeds the standard yield. Evidence of this must be demonstrated by overall farm crop yield in any of the previous three years.
Crop type
Maximum permitted nitrogen (kg N/ha)1
Standard yield (t/ha)
Winter Wheat
220
8.0
Spring Wheat
180
7.0
Winter Barley
170
7.0
Spring Barley
140
5.0
Winter Oats
140
6.0
Spring Oats
110
5.0
Table 6
Regulation 20 – Livestock manure production figures
1 The standard figures for slurry produced by animals do not include water for cleaning buildings.
Livestock type
Volume of excreta produced per animal per week (m3)1
Cattle
Diary cow
0.37
Suckler cow
0.23
Cattle (over 2 years)
0.23
Cattle (1 – 2 years)
0.18
Calf (6 -12 months)
0.09
Calf (0 – 6 months)
0.05
Sheep
Adult ewe or ram
0.03
Fattening lamb (6 – 12 months)
0.01
Adult pigs
Maiden gilt or boar
0.05
Dry or lactating sows and served gilts
0.08
Pigs weaned at 3 – 4 weeks
Approximate start weight (kg)
Approximate sale or transfer weight (kg)
6 – 8
18 (7.5 weeks)
0.01
6 – 8
35 (11 weeks)
0.03
6 – 8
105 (23 weeks) (Meal fed)
0.06
6 – 8
105 (23 weeks) (Liquid fed)
0.08
Growing and finishing pigs
Approximate stat weight (kg)
Approximate sale or transfer weight (kg)
18
35
0.02
35
105 (Meal fed)
0.03
35
105 (Liquid fed)
0.05
Poultry
1000 laying hens
0.81

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2019/81/schedule/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/nutrient-action-programme-regulations-northern-ireland-2019/schedule-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.