Sheep Offal Composting Project

"Resolving the problem of sheep slaughter by-prouducts is of critical importance to all producers who must, or want to, sell lambs through non-traditional (packer) markets. Small direct marketers must now haul lamb offal back to the farm for disposal in dubiously safe circumstances. Sheep producers who wish to market cooperatively often generate too much waste for affordable local disposal and too little waste for economic transporation to by-product disposal plants out-ot-state. Production growth is blocked. The North Central region has the greatest potential for a rebound in sheep numbers. This potential will not be squandered if 'solving the offal problem' enables creative and bold marekting plans."

Objectives: To determine a safe, practical and commercially viable method of composting sheep slaughter by-products. Funds will help support a thorough investigation of current knowledge and experience of animal waste composting and develop a feasible system of sheep offal disposal/utilization through composting.

Results: The project will be extended for one year to gather additional data. This is a group project by small-scale Minnesota sheep producers who direct market mutton and lamb. The rendering industry has ceased to provide services to small pruducers primarily because of the recent events in Great Britain concerning BSE (Mad Cow Disease). Composting trials are taking palce on several sites.