how do you dispose of dead animals?

[red]

This might be a gruesome topic but curious on how you dispose of a dead animal?
We compost here. Bury them in the manure pile. It's amazing how quickly that takes care of them. The heat from the pile breaks down the body. you need a big pile of course for a large cow.
What are some other methods in your area? What are you allowed to do or not to do?
The Amish in our area got into a big stink when it was found that they were dumping dead cattle near a local river! ??? Really got the EPA involved! We used to bury our dead cattle but that was a practice that got stopped too. You have to take a course in composting ( I'm certified for composting) but it's one of those government red tape deals. :
Red the morbid

 

[cowz]

Sorry about your calf.  Nothing gets our crew down in the dark dumps more than loosing a calf.  One of the much awaited, often checked heifers lost a calf.  We were checking her hourly, but apparantly she stood up before the calf came all the way out and dumped it out with its head underneath itself.  Talk about a guilt trip.  But it happens.

Now I will put my "regulatory" hat on.  To answer your question, here, to abide by state law, animals must be buried in 24" of soil and at least 100 feet from any water bearing item, such as draw, creek, well, etc.  Further, large animals are not really supposed to be buried with in one mile of another person's residence.  This is sometimes impossible for the person on 5 to 80 acres.  Now that we are no longer able to sell horses to slaughter, this has opened up a whole new dilemma.
A lot of people have a lot of horses on 5 acres.  Back hoe operators usually charge $300 to bury horses.  What happens when these folks can't afford to bury something.

Did I open up another can of worms?

 

[red]

No cowz, I probably opened the can of worms!
In Ohio, you can compost. They have to be buried at a certain depth, in manure or straw or similar, away from water source & you are supposed to have a license.

Red

 

[cowz]

There is a feedlot in NE Colorado that has developed a "high speed" composting method for feedlots to use.  Sounds gross, but is actually very amazing how they can use the feedlot manure and the dead feeder cattle plus a source of cellulose (usually shredded pallets or tree limbs) to make a high quality compost that can be marketed to landscapers.  Large compost operators here are supposed to be licensed as well.  Compost is a great way for ag producers to make some extra income.  For instance, I know of a family dairy that accually makes more $ off of compost than milk itself.  Go figure!

 

[Joe Boy]

Use to we had a dead animal wagon that picked them up.  I now haul mine to my Great Pyrenees and they eat them then I put the bones in a burial spot that we dug away from streams and rivers.  I have buried them, too.  I have burned them with fallen trees.  There is nothing I enjoy less than disposing of a dead animal.

 

[DL]

I believe (wearing cowz regulatory hat) that each state has it's own rules for disposal of dead animals - specifying how, how many/acre/ etc. Probably not a bad idea to get a copy from the Dept of Ag for your state.

Just as a warning - if you and your vet decide to euthanize a cow (or any animal for tha matter) with a barbiturate (ie overdose of phenobarbital, pentobarbital etc called euthanasol, fatal plus etc) - make sure that that animal is buried deeply so that NO endangered animal can get to the carcass. Any carnivore that eats a chunk of PB overdosed carcass can get a big dose of the drug - sufficient to kill it. If it happens to be a Bald Eagle that feasts on the carcass and dies both the vet and the farmer are liable and I believe the fine is (up to) 10K (yeah $10,000, each). So call your friend with the back hoe!
(cow) DL

 

[austin]

Just be careful. Read your guidlines.

 

[garybob]

We can still push 'emm off down in the holler(away from the house) and let nature take its course. Also, a spotlight and a predator call, and "BOOM" got a Saturday Night!!!!!!

 

[red]

We can still push 'emm off down in the holler(away from the house) and let nature take its course. Also, a spotlight and a predator call, and "BOOM" got a Saturday Night!!!!!!

Gary Bob, that brought back memories actually. When I was growing up, the farmer next to us used to toss his dead cattle in the woods behind us. Our dog would drag them back to our house after a while. Well, me being a junior vet, decided that I would keep the bones & reconstruct a skeleton. Trouble was, I stored them under my bed. My mom was wondering why there was such a strong odor coming from my room. Imagine the screaming when she looked under my bed. I think, I was grounded for a  while.  : I couldn't understand what the big fuss was about!!
Now, you know one of the things that makes me such an unique individual
Red

 

[cowz]

Ha Red, thats funny.  That made me think of my brother who as a kid collected cows teeth out of the feed bunks.  He had an impressive collection.  I will never forget how mad my mom was when she found it.  She was investigating a strange odor in his sock drawer!!! ))

 

[genes]

Oh dear Red....oh dear. ;D  The thing is...I bet your dog just kept bringing back nice long leg bones and what not over and over anyway.  If you had gotten a chance to reconstruct, it might have been an awfully funny looking skeleton.....Pelvisless, ribless.....

 

[red]

Oh dear Red....oh dear. ;D  The thing is...I bet your dog just kept bringing back nice long leg bones and what not over and over anyway.  If you had gotten a chance to reconstruct, it might have been an awfully funny looking skeleton.....Pelvisless, ribless.....

I if I remember correctly, I did have a skull (that is what freaked her out the most) & you are probably right about not having a complete skeleton. But hey, I think I was 8 at the time. A lot of thought probably didn't go into the process!

(lol)Red