How To Dispose Of Dead Animals In Maine

Carcass Management: Economically and Environmentally Sustainable Practices

Marker Hutchinson, Associate Extension Professor, Academy of Maine Cooperative Extension, Orono, Maine (mhutch@maine.edu)
Dr. Pecker Seekins, Agronomical Researcher, Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Services, Augusta, Maine
Marking. A. King, Environmental Specialist, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
George MacDonald, Director, Waste Management and Recycling, Maine State Planning Office

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Whatsoever farm that raises livestock will eventually accept dead stock. Death of livestock occurs for many reasons: natural causes, birthing complications, metabolic complications, diseases, ecology weather condition to proper name a few. Managing mortalities is multifaceted depending on the cause of death, time of year, location of operation, and available disposal options. Traditional disposal options, burial, and rendering are becoming less bonny and practical because of higher cost and potential environmental impacts. Dragging carcasses into the forest has been banned or strongly discouraged in most states. Additional technologies such as alkaline hydrolysis, air curtain burners, and gasification are being adult but are capital letter investment intensive and not practical for small livestock operations. Composting is a biosecure, environmentally sound, and cost-effective management tool in many states. Burial, rendering, and compost are the three well-nigh commonly accepted practices for New England livestock producers. This is an overview of these management options.

Burying

Burying of mortalities has been an accustomed practice for many years. The carcass is sequestered in the soil, out-of-sight and out-of-mind. However, burial has several issues of business organisation.

• The carcass will offset to disuse and release torso fluids into the surrounding soil. Previously, no one paid attention to this because it was not visible. Still, over time, 100% of the fluids have the potential to touch ground and surface h2o.
• The carcass frequently becomes anaerobic and little to no decomposition takes place.
• Wintertime burial is difficult.
• Digging a hole is both fourth dimension-consuming and expensive.
• Locating a suitable burial site, especially on a modest lot, can be hard or, in some cases, non possible.

Rendering

Rendering is still a good selection for areas that are serviced past a rendering company. Yet, in many areas of New England rendering is not an option. For those that have rendering services, costs have increased significantly because of transportation and regulation changes.

• A benefit of rendering is the power to recycle the carcasses into useable products such equally pet foods.
• Withal, new regulations on products have caused renderers to be more than selective in the fabric they take. Nervus tissue, including the encephalon and spinal column of some livestock, is not accustomed for rendering.
• The cost to livestock owners may exist prohibitive.
• Rendering is not available in many areas.

Compost

Compost provides a sustainable management tool for livestock disposal. Composting allows year-round economically and environmentally sustainable management of mortalities on the farm.

• Environmentally sound
  • Groundwater/ leachate:A properly constructed compost pile will capture the body fluids and forbid odors. Eighteen inches of dry absorbent base material will capture body fluids. The fluids incorporate nitrogen which is used by the microbes in the composting procedure.
    • If there is a discharge from a pile information technology is easily seen and can be managed earlier affecting surface and groundwater.
  • Odors: Odors can typically be prevented past using a sufficient amount of cover material (generally 2 anxiety or more than). This material acts like a biofilter to absorb potential odors.
  • Vectors: Coyotes, turkeys, dogs, deport, crow, eagles, and other vectors are not attracted to a properly managed compost pile. There are no odors to attract them. If they find the piles and go curious, they quickly stop earthworks because of the pile temperatures. When the pile starts to cool off, there is no reason for vectors to dig in the pile. All or nigh of the soft tissue has been composted.
  • Public perception: Virtually people walking by a carcass compost site would think that information technology was a manure stacking area. Manure stacking piles seem to be widely accustomed equally an agronomical practice.
  • Use of material: The finished production can be field applied just similar manure. Compost is a very practiced soil subpoena. Piles can be spread equally part of their nutrient management programme in the spring or fall. In many areas, the production tin can likewise be sold for retail utilise.
  • Biosecure: With a properly managed pile, appropriate microbial action and pile temperatures, most pathogens are killed. Pile temperatures often exceed the recommended minimum of 131° F. Keeping the mortalities on the farm also eliminates off-farm vehicles, such as rendering trucks, from entering the farm, reducing the potential to bring diseases onto the farm, and reducing the possibility of "off-farm" transmittal of disease.
  • Winter composting is not difficult. Easier than burial in winter since information technology does non crave digging in frozen soil. Base of operations and cover materials will heat if properly prepared. Learning the "recipe" that works best on your farm is of import. Site access is also important in winter and leap (snow drifts, mud).
  • Price: Low to moderate offset-upwards and operating toll. Locating a site with proper access, soils, and buffers volition keep price depression. Initial cost will increase significantly if site modifications are necessary, but the cost should be returned with less operation and site management fourth dimension.
  • Like shooting fish in a barrel to achieve: For many, it is a "fix and forget arrangement," only amend than the burial choice in most cases. The piles of compost and carcasses are static piles, requiring picayune attention by the operator. It takes significantly less time than a traditional burying. Material is hands applied to ingather country after 4 to half-dozen months.

For more data, visit these websites:

• Management of Beast Carcasses, Tissue & Related Byproducts: Connecting Inquiry, Regulations, and Response
• Composting Animal Mortalities (PDF), Minnesota Section of Agriculture
• Cornell Waste Management Institute
• Emergency Livestock Mortality Composting in Iowa

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Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for whatever issues associated with the employ of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

© 2010

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Source: https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/carcass-management/

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