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Dead Animal Disposal

During the course of production of the animals, several will die and the carcasses need to be properly disposed of. As an example, some chickens will die almost every day at large operations, with highest mortality occurring when the chicks are young and during their last week or two where heart attacks are spurred by the relatively high growth rate of the chickens. Dead animals should be removed from the housing facilities as soon as they are found in order to prevent spread of disease. AFOs should consult with the appropriate authorities to help comply with applicable state and local laws about animal mortality disposal.

Common techniques for disposal of dead animals include composting, rendering, incineration, burial, and landfilling. Rendering is where the dead animals are taken to a facility where they are ground up for use in animal feed, as a base material for cosmetic products, and other uses. Rendering is a very good option where possible, as the farmer simply needs to collect and store the dead animals for pick up by a third party, and the carcasses are transformed to a useful saleable product. Pick up service for rendering should be within a day or two of death. On-site storage facilities such as a dumpster (ADU container, or animal disposal unit container) should be used to keep the dead animals before they are picked up for disposal. Some facilities use freezers for temporary storage of animal corpses. The second preferred option is composting, which also results in a usable product. Burial, landfilling, or incineration can also be used, though they may not be allowed in some localities. Common burial guidelines include locating grave sites at least 200 feet away from any streams or other waterbodies, and to bury under a minimum of three feet of well-packed soil.