The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2024 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 6 : Agriculture
Chapter 215 : Agricultural Water Quality
Subchapter 005 : REGULATION OF MEDIUM AND SMALL FARM OPERATIONS
(Cite as: 6 V.S.A. § 4857)-
§ 4857. Definitions
As used in this subchapter:
(1) “Animal feeding operation” (AFO) means a lot or facility where the livestock or domestic fowl have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period, and crops, vegetation, or forage growth are not sustained in the normal growing season over any portion of the lot or facility. Two or more individual farms qualifying as an AFO that are under common ownership and that adjoin each other or use a common area or system for the disposal of waste shall be considered to be a single AFO if the combined number of livestock or domestic fowl resulting qualifies as a medium farm as defined in subdivision (2) of this section.
(2) “Medium farm” is an AFO that houses 200 to 699 mature dairy animals; 300 to 999 cattle or cow/calf pairs; 300 to 999 veal calves; 750 to 2,499 swine weighing over 55 pounds; 3,000 to 9,999 swine weighing less than 55 pounds; 150 to 499 horses; 3,000 to 9,999 sheep or lambs; 16,500 to 54,999 turkeys; 9,000 to 29,999 laying hens or broilers with a liquid manure handling system; 25,000 to 81,999 laying hens without a liquid manure handling system; 37,500 to 124,999 chickens other than laying hens without a liquid manure handling system; 1,500 to 4,999 ducks with a liquid manure handling system; or 10,000 to 29,999 ducks without a liquid manure handling system.
(3) “Small farm” is an AFO that houses no more than 199 mature dairy animals; 299 cattle or cow/calf pairs; 299 veal calves; 749 swine weighing over 55 pounds; 2,999 swine weighing less than 55 pounds; 149 horses; 2,999 sheep or lambs; 16,499 turkeys; 8,999 laying hens or broilers with a liquid manure handling system; 24,999 laying hens without a liquid manure handling system; 37,499 chickens other than laying hens without a liquid manure handling system; 1,499 ducks with a liquid manure handling system; or 9,999 ducks without a liquid manure handling system.
(4) “Domestic fowl” means laying hens, broilers, ducks, turkeys, or any other number or type of fowl that the Secretary deems domestic fowl.
(5) “Livestock” means cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and horses, or any other number and type of domestic animal that the Secretary deems livestock. (Added 2003, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. June 3, 2004; amended 2015, No. 39, § 13.)
