# What do you think of this



## Buckskin gal (Nov 21, 2007)

Michigan OKs Composting Horse Carcasses

by: The Associated Press

November 16 2007, Article # 10827

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Dairy farmer Ken Nobis reaches into a tall mound of what looks like topsoil and grabs a clump, which he looks over and quickly sniffs before crumbling it.

The 10-foot-high, 50-foot-long heap that he's examining is a compost pile. Its humus is dark, rich and virtually odor-free--which is surprising, given that much of it consists of cow manure and the decayed remains of dead cattle.

Michigan recently enacted new rules that make it easier for farmers to compost animal carcasses. A growing number of states allow farmers to compost the carcasses of horses, poultry, and livestock. The agriculture industry says it's a safe and economical way to dispose of dead animals, though some environmentalists question whether it could lead to groundwater and surface water contamination.

U.S. farms started using composting as a disposal method for dead poultry in the 1980s. Hog farmers later adopted the method, which more recently has been used to dispose of cattle and sheep carcasses. (For more on composting horse carcasses see www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=7825.)

Michigan's new rules allow farmers to build open-air compost piles in their fields without a floor or a structure, as long as they do not exceed more than 20,000 pounds of carcasses during a year. Otherwise, producers are required to construct bases of concrete or other impermeable surfaces for their piles and drain any runoff into containment areas.

There are setback requirements intended to protect streams and wells from runoff. Farmers also are required to maintain records about what goes into their piles and must monitor moisture and temperature.

Historically, farmers haven't had many options when it came to getting rid of bodies or parts of bodies of their domestic animals. In Michigan, only a handful of landfills accept animal carcasses and parts.

The problem became more serious in recent years as Michigan's rendering industry--whose companies make glues, hair dyes, and other products from animal remains--has nearly vanished. Rendering also is expensive, costing farmers up to $150 per animal for large livestock, said Kevin Kirk, a spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture.

Many farmers see composting as an economical and practical solution.

"Everyone sat around the table to develop these rules," says Ernie Birchmeier, a livestock specialist with the Michigan Farm Bureau, a lobbying group representing farmers. "We did the research, we did the homework and we came up with a strategy, a new management option for farmers to use that works for them and helps to protect the environment and utilize the nutrients in a more positive way."


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## Reijel's Mom (Nov 21, 2007)

Hmm - I think I like the idea, because disposal is a HUGE cost for those of us who can't bury on our land, but I'm not sure if you would be allowed to compost animals that had been euthanized with drugs?

I know many people say it's very humane, but I've had to put down 3 horses now in my lifetime and I just could NOT have them shot. I was SO terrified that something would go wrong, and I'd rather have something go wrong with a drug than with a bullet. Plus I'd want to see the person in action prior to having them do anything with a horse for me to be sure they know what they are doing, and the reality is I probably couldn't handle that, either, unless an animal was suffering terribly.

But that was kind of off topic (but kind of not




).


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## Bess Kelly (Nov 21, 2007)

The heat that develops in a good compost pile would pretty much negate the effects of the drugs most used for euthanizing. At 1,000# for a mature cow or horse, that would limit to 20 (roughly) the numbers to make a max of 20,000#. It is a method.

In our area the chicken houses waste are used by many farmers to fertilize. Having been to many of these broiler raising facilities, I have toured & discussed the methods for delivery of the chicks, their care & the farmers concerns during growth, the way things worked at pick up, etc. Among the methods for disposing of carcasses was a compost pile! Most had built sides, had thermometers for checking/controlling the progress, etc. When these areas had reached the point at which they were supposed to, one side was removed and the front loader emptied it.


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 28, 2007)

Well, unless you get it just right it does not work- this is not to say that leaflets could not be made up with easy to follow stages so that it could be got just right, though.

I have had.......a lot of horses put down and I have had every one shot by captive bolt, and two by pistol (here on my farm) and I can tell you it is a lot nicer than the average injection- horses do not fight a bullet- they can fight anaesthesia as we all know only too well.

I am not convinced that this is the long term way forward though.

I see no reason why if, in this tiny country, a man can make a very good living going around humanely destroying and removing for a small fee, horses carcasses and "fallen stock" (farm animals) the same man's counterpart in a huge place like the states cannot do the same thing- my knacker does not take live animals, yet he is a licensed horses slaughterer.


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