Mortality Management Plan – to mitigate Problems with Dead Livestock Disposal

Raising animals is a major component of the agricultural industry and is being practiced in different cultures ever since the transition from hunting to farming. Livestock raising has become a profitable commercial endeavor considering the usefulness of animals for food, fiber and labor. However, livestock raising has its share of challenges and one of the major problems is dead livestock disposal to prevent disease transmission and to protect air and water quality. Mortality cannot be avoided and producers have to face losses due to animal diseases, bad weather and accidents.

Responsibility of producers on proper dead livestock disposal

Producers need to put in place a mortality management plan to avoid having problems in dead livestock disposal. In some localities, there are specific guidelines that require dead livestock to be disposed off within 48 hours in an environmentally acceptable manner. Safe disposal is part of routine management of livestock mortalities and every producer must be aware of the proper procedures for disposal including handling and compliance with local regulations. Dead livestock should never be left in open areas for scavengers to feed to on them since there are proper dead livestock disposal options.

A proper mortality management plan for dead livestock disposal is very important since it is not easy to predict the future.  Catastrophic events like floods, earthquake or outbreak of an infectious disease could result into a large number of deaths. If the reasons for livestock mortality are due to an unlisted infectious disease or catastrophic events, municipal authorities would be on hand to supervise disposal procedures. It is important for dead livestock disposal to be done immediately to contain the spread of the infectious disease to adjoining farms. In such circumstances, on-site disposal is the preferred option.

Onsite dead livestock disposal

Mass burial means digging a trench in a site that is approved by Government Services Center as a waste disposal site. There are requirements for the burial pit so as not to become a health hazard that includes:

-        It should be at least 90 metres (300 feet) from wells or domestic water intakes and

-        At least 30 metres (100 feet) away from any surface water and

-        Constructed in such a way that the bottom of the pit is 1.2 metres (4 feet) above the high water table.

-        It should be sized for a maximum of 700 kilograms or 1,500 pounds.

-        The use of hydrated lime will speed up the process of decomposition as well as deter scavengers from feeding on the carcasses.

-        A minimum of 0.6 metre or 2 feet of soil should cover the carcasses, again as a protection against scavengers and to reduce health hazards.

A proper mortality management plan should also address the challenge of mass burial of dead livestock during winter when the ground is frozen and covered with snow. A good plan would be to prepare the burial pit in fall with the final cover placed in spring. This would mitigate any problems on dead livestock disposal during winter. A lid can also be used as a protective covering to prevent the entry of snow.