Livestock Unit Calculator
Convert livestock numbers to total Livestock Units (LU), LU per hectare and LU per acre, using the DEFRA Countryside Stewardship Annex 6C conversion table.
Against the published scheme limits
Moorland grazing actions state their limit as grazing livestock units per hectare. The coefficients are the same ones used above, so your figure can be read straight against them. Each limit applies to the land entered into that action, not to the whole farm.
| Action | Scheme | Limit (GLU/ha) | Payment | Your figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPL2 Low livestock grazing on moorland | SFI26 | 0.08 | £89/ha/yr | — |
| UPL3 Limited livestock grazing on moorland | SFI26 | 0.04 | £111/ha/yr | — |
| CUP8 Moderate livestock grazing on moorland | CSHT | 0.16 | £20/ha/yr | — |
| CUP9 Low livestock grazing on moorland | CSHT | 0.08 | £53/ha/yr | — |
| CUP10 Limited livestock grazing on moorland | CSHT | 0.04 | £66/ha/yr | — |
Limits and payment rates read from the GOV.UK action pages (SFI26 actions updated 17 June 2026; CSHT actions 12 March 2026). Being inside a limit here is not a compliance check — your agreement, your mapped area and your stocking calendar decide that.
What this number is not
There is no official DEFRA benchmark for “normal” livestock units per hectare on lowland grazing — Annex 6C publishes the conversion table and nothing else. The only published LU/ha figures are the moorland action limits above. Anywhere else, your number is a comparison point against your own past seasons or a neighbour’s, not a target.
Livestock unit conversion table (DEFRA Annex 6C)
| Livestock category | Livestock Units each | Animals per 1 LU |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle over 2 years | 1.00 | 1 |
| Cattle 6 months to 2 years | 0.60 | ~1.7 |
| Horse | 1.00 | 1 |
| Pony or donkey | 0.80 | 1.25 |
| Lowland ewe, lamb or ram | 0.12 | ~8.3 |
| Store lamb, hill ewe, hogg or teg | 0.08 | 12.5 |
| Goat | 0.12 | ~8.3 |
So 1 Livestock Unit ≈ 1 adult cow ≈ 1 horse ≈ 8–9 lowland ewes ≈ 12–13 hill ewes. "Animals per 1 LU" is simply 1 divided by the DEFRA coefficient.
Two more categories in the 2026 scheme guidance
| Livestock category | GLU each | Animals per 1 GLU |
|---|---|---|
| Pig | 0.44 | ~2.3 |
| Poultry | 0.017 | ~59 |
These two are absent from Annex 6C and appear in the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier action guidance (CSP16, updated 28 April 2026), which introduces the list with the words that a Natural England adviser “will decide on the appropriate value depending on the type and breed of livestock” and may use these figures. Treat them as the adviser’s starting point, not a fixed rate.
How many cattle or sheep per acre?
The calculator gives livestock units per acre; turning that back into animals is one division, because a unit is defined as one adult bovine. Divide your LU/acre by the coefficient for the animal you are asking about:
- Cattle over 2 years (1.00): 0.5 LU/acre is 0.5 head per acre — one beast per two acres.
- Cattle 6 months to 2 years (0.60): 0.5 ÷ 0.60 = 0.83 head per acre.
- Lowland ewes (0.12): 0.5 ÷ 0.12 = 4.2 ewes per acre.
- Hill ewes, hoggs, tegs, store lambs (0.08): 0.5 ÷ 0.08 = 6.3 per acre.
One hectare is 2.4710538 acres, which is the conversion the calculator uses. Nothing here says how many animals an acre should carry — that depends on the ground, and no official UK figure exists for it outside the moorland limits.
Frequently asked questions
What is a livestock unit (LU)?
A livestock unit is a standard way of expressing different types and ages of grazing animals on a common scale, so that stocking can be compared across species. In the DEFRA Countryside Stewardship system, one LU corresponds to one adult bovine over two years old, and every other category is a fraction of that (see the table above).
How many sheep count as one livestock unit?
Using the DEFRA Annex 6C coefficients: a lowland ewe, lamb or ram counts as 0.12 LU, so roughly 8–9 of them make one LU. A store lamb, hill ewe, hogg or teg counts as 0.08 LU — exactly 12.5 per LU.
How do I calculate livestock units per hectare?
Convert each group of animals to livestock units using the coefficients above, add them up, then divide the total by your grazing area in hectares. Example: 20 adult cattle (20 LU) plus 100 lowland ewes (100 × 0.12 = 12 LU) on 25 ha gives 32 LU ÷ 25 ha = 1.28 LU/ha. That is exactly what the calculator above does — including the per-acre figure.
What stocking rate is "right" for my land?
This calculator deliberately does not tell you, and neither does DEFRA: Annex 6C publishes the conversion table with no accompanying benchmark, and the only LU/ha figures in the current guidance are the moorland action limits (0.04, 0.08 and 0.16 GLU/ha). Off moorland, the appropriate rate depends on habitat, soil, rainfall, sward quality and your farm system. Use the number as a comparison point and talk to your agronomist or feed advisor.
Does this check my SFI or Countryside Stewardship limits?
It compares, it does not certify. Moorland grazing actions are written as a maximum GLU per hectare — 0.08 for UPL2 and CUP9, 0.04 for UPL3 and CUP10, 0.16 for CUP8 — so the results above put your figure next to each of them. Other grassland actions are managed by sward height and seasonal rules instead; for those, use our Grassland Grazing Checker. Either way the agreement, the mapped area and the stocking calendar decide compliance, not this page.
Is a GLU the same as a livestock unit?
For these purposes, yes. The 2026 action guidance says grazing livestock units (GLU) and lists the same coefficients as Annex 6C — a cow over two years is 1.0 in both. The 2026 list adds pig (0.44) and poultry (0.017), which Annex 6C does not contain, and notes that a Natural England adviser decides the value that actually applies to your livestock.
Do lambs at foot count separately?
No. DEFRA’s moorland action guidance states that lambs at foot have no separate GLU allocation and are included in the figure shown for “ewe and lamb”. Count the ewe once; do not add her lamb as a second animal.
What about manure nitrogen limits (NVZ)?
The 170 kg N/ha/year livestock manure limit in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones is a separate calculation based on nitrogen produced, not livestock units. If your land is in an NVZ, start with our NVZ checker.
About this calculator
Livestock Unit coefficients are taken verbatim from DEFRA Countryside Stewardship Annex 6C. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Crown copyright 2023.
What this tool does: converts livestock numbers to total Livestock Units (LU) and LU per hectare.
What this tool does not do: recommend whether your stocking rate is appropriate. Suitable LU per hectare depends on habitat, soil, rainfall, sward quality, farm system, and — where applicable — the specific stocking rules of your Countryside Stewardship or Sustainable Farming Incentive agreement.
For decisions about your farm, consult a feed advisor, agronomist or veterinary surgeon. For Countryside Stewardship compliance, check your agreement documents or contact the Rural Payments Agency.
Pig (0.44) and poultry (0.017) come from the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier action guidance, not from Annex 6C — see CSP16, updated 28 April 2026, where the values are the ones a Natural England adviser may apply. Deer and cattle under 6 months appear in neither list; for those, refer to your agreement schedule.
Scheme limits and payment rates on this page were read from the GOV.UK action pages for UPL2, UPL3, CUP8, CUP9 and CUP10 on 7 September 2026.
Keep learning
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