Composting may be one alternative to the problem of dead animal disposal.

by Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer

I’ve made no secret of my disappointment over the tunnel vision shown by out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in their recent decision to impose an enhanced animal feed ban rule.

 

The new rule prohibits the use of certain cattle-derived materials from being used in any animal feed. It will put many of Kentucky’s small family farmers, renderers, haulers and associated businesses out of business and will have unintended consequences to public health and the environment.

 

This isn’t over; I’m going to continue to work with Kentucky’s congressional delegation to find a solution that will serve Kentucky’s livestock industry while also protecting consumers and the environment.

 

But in the meantime, I believe that on-farm composting of animal carcasses could be an alternative to rendering. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service explains the procedure in detail in a publication titled “On-Farm Composting of Animal Mortalities” (ID-166).

 

Animal mortalities are a part of animal production. Mature swine, beef, and dairy animals die at an average rate of 2 to 5 percent per year. The highest mortality rate, 10 to 12 percent, is with younger animals from birth to weaning.

 

Composting can provide animal producers with a convenient on-farm method for carcass disposal while providing a valuable soil fertilizer. Finished material can also be reused to top-dress future carcasses, speeding up the decomposition process by providing beneficial bacteria that prevents the release of odors, which attract flies, vermin and buzzards.

 

Composting is a natural decomposing process conducted by microorganisms that can be controlled under managed conditions. Composting reduces the size of the material by removing organic products, water, and energy in the form of carbon dioxide, vapor and heat. Pathogens that cause approximately 80 percent of animal mortalities are destroyed by high temperatures during the composting process.

 

Kentucky law (KRS 257.160(1)(f)) allows disposal of animal carcasses by composting if the disposal is performed in an approved facility and according to the Kentucky State Board of Agriculture’s administrative regulations.

 

Obtaining permits and constructing the composting facility are essential steps to beginning the process. A $25 permit from State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout is required, and all animal composting facilities are subject to inspection by the state veterinarian’s office.

 

The composting area should not be built in a floodplain or within 300 feet of a water well, stream, sinkhole, pond, property line or public road. The compost area may be covered with a roof to control moisture runoff, and a water supply should be nearby to add water to the compost pile as needed.

 

Other than animal carcasses, an ingredient necessary for composting is a bulking agent. Some sort of ground-up wood product – such as sawdust, wood shavings and wood mulch – works best because it is high in carbon and can wick up moisture. Chipped wood can be acquired at little or no cost through tree removal companies. Horse muck and corn stover can also be used.

 

A couple of tools are necessary to manage composting facilities. A front-end loader may be needed to place carcasses in the compost pile, move the composting material, turn or flip the pile contents and section the carcasses. A long-stemmed compost thermometer is also useful to monitor the decomposition process.

 

You can read the UK Extension report through a link on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Web site. Go to www.kyagr.com, click on the “Programs” icon at the top of the page, select “State Veterinarian” from the list and under “Animal Carcass Disposal,” click on the last item, “On Farm Composting.”