1995 Annual Report for FNC95-093
Composting Poultry and Swine Carcasses
Summary
Disposal of animal carcasses in an economical manner while avoiding transmission of disease is a difficult task. Composting provides an alternative taht is environmentally friendly whiile providing a valuable by-product.
Objective: To construct an on-farm composter for disposal of animal carcasses. This avoids the costly method of freezing dead animals and delivering them to a collection point on a weekly basis where there is a very high potential of transmitting disease.
Results: Composting structure of concrete with a wood roof was erected on the farm. The composter utilizes turkey littler as primary carbon source and is monitored daily for moisture and temperature. Early data indicates disposal costs were reduced by 50% with consideration given to the value of finsihed compost. Side by side comparison of compost and turkey litter in corn production resulted in an 11-bushel increase where compost was applied.