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By Jared Strong
An east-central Iowa livestock producer converted a multi-building hog confinement into a cattle facility that likely yielded a significant increase of manure without state approval, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The department recently levied a fine of $5,000 against Bryon Hook, of Holland, who owns the livestock facility. The facility is managed by one of his children who was unaware of state regulations that pertain to confinement changes, said Dan Bratrud, an environmental specialist for the DNR who investigated the situation.
In March 2022, a consultant for Hook told the DNR that the swine operation — which consisted of about 2,200 animals in four buildings — would be converted to 1,200 calves in three of the buildings, with the remaining building decommissioned.
According to a recent DNR administrative order, Hook did not seek a construction permit for the change even though the consultant was told it was required. That permit was necessary because the switch to cattle would increase the amount of manure produced by the facility and would increase the total number of animal units to more than 1,000.
Livestock is tallied differently based on the type and size of the creatures. Calves count as one animal unit, for example. Swine that weigh more than 55 pounds count as four-tenths of an animal unit. Goats are one-tenth.
So the change from 2,200 swine to 1,200 calves resulted in a roughly 36% increase in animal units. The increase in manure production was likely similar, Bratrud said.
Animal confinements in Iowa must have plans to dispose of the manure they create, most often by applying it to farm fields as a crop nutrient. That application is regulated by the state to avoid overapplication, which increases the likelihood for waterway contamination by nitrate, a considerable environmental problem for Iowa.
“There’s a chance that there was additional manure and it was spread somewhere where we wouldn’t have a clue,” Bratrud said of the manure from Hook’s operation.
It’s unclear how many months the facility was operating with cattle rather than swine before Bratrud inspected it in October 2022, he said. That inspection was part of the construction permit approval process that should have been completed before the facility housed cattle. Hook had applied for the permit about a month before.
Bratrud also questioned whether another building on the site — which had about 800 cattle — was being operated properly as a partially roofed open feedlot, which has different requirements than a confinement. Notably, a confinement must retain all of its manure.
Such facilities often have a slanted roof and an open side facing south. To qualify as a feedlot versus a confinement, the animals must be allowed to move freely to an outside area that is at least 10% of the total area of the facility.
Bratrud’s assessment of aerial photos of the Hook site in different years cast doubt on whether the cattle could leave the building, according to the DNR order, but Bratrud said he was unable to conclusively determine that.
Aerial photos of the site in Grundy County records show a fully fenced outdoor run for the cattle in a 2019 image. A 2022 image appears to show part of the fence and a large gate were removed.
Bratrud said the outdoor area has since been modified to accommodate the free movement of cattle from inside the building.
In a recent DNR order, Hook agreed to pay the $5,000 penalty and to apply for a construction permit amendment if the partially roofed open feedlot is converted to a confinement.
The construction application that was prompted by the switch from swine to cattle is still pending approval, DNR records show.
