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Section 5 - Mortality Management

Mortality management is a critical part of your plan since nutrients in the carcasses are part of the nutrient cycling on your farm. Of course, your primary goal is to minimize mortality through good management.  At a minimum, your record keeping system should detail how mortalities are handled, such as "Picked up by rendering plant".
 

Part 1. Estimating Mortalities

To estimate how many mortalities your operation will have, use the following table.
Cattle and Horse Mortalities

Type of Livestock
 or Poultry

Column A
Average Mortality
 Rate
(%)

Column B
Average Weight
(lb.)

birth

9.0

100
weanling

2.5

600
yearling

1.0

900
mature

0.75

1,400

 
Sheep and Goats Mortalities

Type of Livestock
 or Poultry

Column A
Average Mortality
 Rate
(%)

Column B
Average Weight
(lb.)

birth

9

8
lambs

5

65
mature

4

170

 
Swine Mortalities

Type of Livestock or Poultry

Column A
Average Mortality Rate
(%)

Column B
Average Weight
(lb.)

birth to weaning

11

6
nursery

3

24
growing - finishing

3

140
breeding herd

3.5

350

 
Poultry Mortalities

Type of Livestock or Poultry

Column A
Average Mortality Rate
(%)

Column B
Average Weight
(lb.)

broiler

4.75

4.2
layers

14.0

4.5
breeding hens

11.0

7.5
turkey, females 5.5 14.0
turkey, males

9.0

24.0

Part 2. Estimating Your Mortality Production

First, calculate the total number of each category of livestock present on your farm over a year's time (Column 1, below).

Then, multiply the total in each category by the average mortality rate for that category. Then divide by 100. This gives you the total number of mortalities to plan for in each category (Column 2, below).

To calculate total weight of mortalities, multiply the number of mortalities in each category by the average weight for that category. Then sum the weights from all the livestock categories (Column 3, below).

Estimating Your Mortality Production
Type of Livestock or Poultry
Column 1
Total number of head1
Column 2
Number of mortalities expected2
Column 3
Weight of mortalities3
Disposal Method
example: yearling cattle
800 head
800 x 1.0 / 100 = 8 head
8 x 900 lb = 7200 lb
Render
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
Total
        

1 - Total number over a year's period.
2 - Column 1 x Column A divided by 100
3 - Column 2 x Column B

Part 3. Choosing the Best Disposal Method for Your Operation

Choosing the Best Disposal Method for Your Operation
Disposal Methods Advantages Disadvantages
Rendering 1) Conserves nutrients contained in the dead animals.
2) Minimal capital investment unless preservation is used.
3) Low maintenance		 1) Increases sanitary precautions to prevent disease transmission.
2) Storage of animals is required until pickup.
3) Fees charged for pickup.
4) Rendering service may not be available.
Composting1 1) Conserves nutrients contained in the dead animals.
2) Low odor.
3) Environmentally safe.
4) No need to store dead animals.		 1) High initial cost.
2) Labor intensive.
3) Regular monitoring and maintenance is required.
4) Cropland required for utilization of finished compost.
Incineration 1) Sanitary.
2) Final except for ashes.		 1) Nutrients contained in the dead animals are wasted.
2) Initial cost.
3) Fuel costs.
4) Equipment operation and maintenance costs.
5) Potential air quality impairment.
Sanitary Landfills 1) Simplicity.
2) No capital investment.
3) No maintenance.		 1) Nutrients contained in the dead animals are wasted.
2) Few landfills accept dead animals.
3) Transportation costs.
4) Not permitted in many areas.
Burial 1) Capital limited to land and excavating equipment. 1) Nutrients contained in the dead animals are wasted.
2) Increases sanitary precautions to prevent disease transmission.
3) Storage of carcasses until burial may be necessary. Difficult if ground is frozen.
4) Land area becomes significant for large operations.
5) Siting requirements.
Disposal pits 1) Simplicity. 1) Nutrients contained in the dead animals are wasted.
2) Exacting soil and drainage conditions are required.
3) Satisfactory location may not be convenient to facilities.
4) Possibility of environmental hazards.
5) Not permitted in many areas.

1 - If composted mortalities will be applied to your land, the nutrients in the compost must be added to the manure nutrient production calculated in section 4, prior to calculating your land base requirement in section 6.

Information in this section was modified from Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Program, Lesson 51, Mortality Management, by Don Stettler of the USDA-NRCS.

Dead Animal Disposal Regulations

Most counties have rules and regulations for animal disposal
  1. Do not dispose of animals in water drainages.
  2. Unacceptable disposal method could result in a violation.
The Wyoming DEQ Rules and Regulations for Animal Disposal (Wyoming Statute 35-10-104):
  1. Operators burial on own property, requires a minimum of 2 feet of cover, and cannot be in contact with ground water.
  2. Haul animal to disposal area on own property if it is at least _ miles from human habitation and is not in contact with surface water.
  3. Forty-eight (48) hours are allowed to deal with dead animals; $100 fine for violators.
  4. Dead animals from animal operations are considered "trade waste". Trade wastes from any industry may not be burned as a method of disposal, unless these criteria are met:
    1. the operator has an air quality permit allowing him/her to burn the trade wastes as a disposal method;
    2. or, the operator has a licensed incinerator in which to burn trade wastes.
Animals may be taken to city or county landfills.

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