end and mercy killing are sad reality of farm lifetime , and determining what to do with the body of deceased farm creature can get puzzling . Traditional administration method admit burial , rendition and incineration , though each has possible pitfall . With traditional interment , strict adherence to local laws and ordinances must be followed with regard to space from social system and burial depth in sexual congress to H2O tables . Burial in winter can also be difficult in field where the ground freeze . Both rendering and incineration can be pricy and are not useable in all areas .
accord to Steve Higgins , director of animal and environmental compliance for the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station , carcass composting is a viable option for stock carcass disposal that ’s garner interest , as it offers benefit for the farm owner :
Any farm owner can make a safe and good compost area that ’s as wide-eyed or as elaborate as he choose . No building is required , though a three - sided social system with a roof is an option . Carcasses can be compost on grass , but a heavily - pack surface is ideal to shrink mud during cockeyed weather condition .
juiceless Sir Henry Wood mulch , such as sawdust , wood skimming , Ellen Price Wood chips or a combination thereof , is necessary to support the bacteria that aid downplay odors . The cloth must be juiceless to absorb the decomposing fluids .
To make the compost area , build a 2- to 3 - infantry - mysterious bed of wood mulch on a flat surface ; the large the beast , the near to 3 feet in deepness the bottom needs to be . Place the carcass on the bottom of woodchips and cover with 4 feet of wood mulch , heaped into a conical shape . ( The conoid shape permit the compost pile to shed weewee and encourages bacterium to begin compost . ) A 6- to 7 - metrical foot - marvellous hatful ( approximately 3,240 pounds mulch ) is necessary to compost a 1,000 - pound moo-cow or cavalry . The beast should be surrounded by 2 feet of mulch on all position , as well . The 4 - metrical unit topper is a straight bio - filter , a hold out filter where beneficial bacteria scrub the carcase and break down chain molecules into water vapor . Small carcasses , such as chickens , can be merge in one compost pile without a trouble .
A carcass properly forget in forest mulch produces no smell and attracts no vermin . A 1,000 - pound cow or horse can be all composted , save for a few large bone , in three month . minuscule fauna take less time to decompose . When the lead of the strobile falls inwards , the compost process is almost accomplished .
