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DEAD
ANIMAL DISPOSAL
The
Board of Animal Health investigates complaints from the public concerning
the disposal of dead livestock.
Agricultural Regulatory Specialists visit the premises to ensure
disposal of carcasses complies with Board of Animal Health rules.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - CARCASS DISPOSAL
GENERAL OVERVIEW: There are always losses (mortality) in
animal production.
Proper disposal of
carcasses is important both to prevent livestock disease transmission, and
to protect air and water quality.
This document provides options for disposal with associated
advantages, disadvantages and rule requirements. Carcass Disposal is
Regulated by: * Minnesota Board of
Animal Health Rules - 1719.0100 - 1719.4600 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Rules Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Rules * These are summarized in the
following Best Management Practices.
LEGAL METHODS OF DISPOSAL (As of January 1996)
* Allowed by Law, but at this time
Minnesota renderers will not process sheep or goats.
Definition of
Carcass: The body or a part of a
domestic animal or fowl that has died or has been killed otherwise than by
being slaughtered for human or animal consumption. Definition of
Discarded Animal Parts: All or a part of animals, fish,
or poultry that have been killed for human or animal consumption and not
used for that purpose. GENERAL RULE
SUMMARY: 1. Carcass must be
disposed of as soon as reasonably possible, ie; within 48-72 hours. 2. Burying a carcass
requires that the carcass be 5 feet above the high water level and covered
with 3 feet of dirt. Sandy or
gravelly areas or areas within 10 feet of bedrock should be avoided. 3. Incineration must
be in an incinerator that is approved by the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency. 4. Hauling over the
road. Carcasses or discarded
animal parts must be in vehicles or containers that are leakproof and
covered. The vehicles also
need to be inspected and have a permit, unless the vehicle belongs to the
owner of the animal before it died. 5. Composting must
use the protocol set forth in Board rules. These are explained on the page
about composting. 6. Fur farms need a
permit and inspected vehicle to haul carcasses or discarded animal parts
over the road. 7. Each carcass used
as pet food must pass an inspection by a veterinarian and must be
processed under clean and sanitary conditions. 8. Carcasses left at
an off-site pickup point must be in an animal-proof enclosed area that is
at least 200 yards from a neighbor's buildings. Carcasses must be picked up within
72 hours, except if the enclosed area is refrigerated to less than
45E F, the carcasses must be picked up within 7
days.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - CARCASS DISPOSAL
C O M P O S T I N G Composting is the process
of placing carcasses in layers with a carbon source and manure to allow
the natural heating process to break down the carcass and reduce its
mass. As of January, 1996,
composting is allowed for swine, sheep, goats and poultry. ADVANTAGES
+
Biosecurity. + Year-round
use. + Inexpensive
+
Environmentally sound. + Value - added
product to
sell or us
+ Best and
recommended
Method to handle catastrophic
losses.
+ Heat of
composting process kills pathogens and insect larvae. DISADVANTAGES +
May be more labor
intensive. +
Requires impervious pad, rot resistant walls and cover to repel rain. + Takes some
practice to develop the "art". + Requires carbon
source (straw, sawdust, cornstalks, etc) RECOMMENDATIONS. !
Composting is an "art" that
must be practiced because of the variety in materials, weather conditions
and number of carcasses. It
is best to have the same person doing the composting to consistently read
the pile.
DO: + Follow protocol
as specified in Board of Animal Health rules. -
Process mortality daily. - Keep
carcasses covered and at least 6" from sides. - Take
and record temperature daily (must reach 130E F). - Start
with a base of carbon source material. - Put
carcasses, litter and carbon source in layers. - Mix
pile at least 1 time when the temperature starts to decline; this will
generate a new heat cycle after each mixing. DON'T: + Use frozen
carcasses for composting. + Store carcasses
before processing. PUBLIC
RELATIONS. Build composter out of sight and away from neighbors. While a compost pile that is working right will have no smell and no insects, it may bother neighbors to see carcasses going into it on a daily basis. Convince your neighbors to use the finished compost for their gardens (before you tell them what is in it).
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
CARCASS DISPOSAL
I N C I N E R A T I O N Incineration is an
effective but more costly method, working well as a cold weather
alternative. ADVANTAGES
+ Can use
year-round.
+ Biosecurity (No
trucks coming
from other farms to pick up
carcasses). DISADVANTAGES + Incinerator
cost. +
Fuel cost - expensive. + Odor. + Very expensive
for larger size carcasses. RECOMMENDATIONS. !
Place your incinerator out of
sight or enclosed with a decorative screen . !
Consider the wind direction
and time of the day, so as to least effect your neighbors. DO: + Purchase MPCA
Approved incinerator. + Purchase unit
large enough to handle each day's mortality. + Properly maintain
unit. + Incinerate
mortality daily.
DON'T: + Accumulate
carcasses for days before incinerating. + Incinerate when
down wind neighbor is having a barbecue, etc. + Forget to pay
your gas bill. PUBLIC
RELATIONS. Most problems from
incineration come from the odor of burning hair or feathers that
interferes with a neighbor's outdoor activities.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
CARCASS DISPOSAL
B U R I A L Burial requires great
care in site selection because as carcasses decompose, they release
materials that can pollute ground water, particularly if large volumes are
buried. This practice is most
suitable for small amounts of material (e.g. less than 2000 lb./burial
pit/acre). ADVANTAGES
+
Inexpensive (if own equipment).
+
Biosecurity (No trucks coming
from other farms to pick up carcasses).
DISADVANTAGES + Difficult in
winter. + Can cause
groundwater pollution. + Cannot bury where
water table is within 10' of surface. RECOMMENDATIONS: !
Should not be used by large
facilities or with catastrophic losses because the volume of carcasses may
lead to groundwater pollution. !
Examine other alternatives for
dead livestock disposal. DO: + Cover with three
feet of dirt and stay five feet above the water table. + Cover each day's
deposits with a layer of dirt. + Identify sites
for worker safety. + Bury
immediately. DON'T: + Place in or near
lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, wetlands, ditches or wells. + Use as a dump for
other farm garbage. + Bury in areas
with a high seasonal water table. + Bury in "karst"
or sandy areas. + Bury in areas
subject to surface water flooding. PUBLIC
RELATIONS. Problems arise when using
burial pits and from burying a carcass too near to a neighbor's well. The neighbors complain about
burial pits when any smell comes from the farm; they assume it is from the
pit or when carcasses are not properly covered each day and dogs or wild
animals drag off parts of the carcasses. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - CARCASS DISPOSAL
R E N D E R I N G Rendering offers the
grower the chance to create a recyclable feed product if it is submitted
to the renderer with proper handling. ADVANTAGES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||