By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Mortalities are a fact of life for livestock producers. Today, animal agriculture is challenged to discover innovative ways to dispose of livestock and poultry mortalities.

Disposing of them by calling a rendering company can be costly. Burning or burying the carcasses is not always allowed. According to USDA statistics, 73 percent of farms in the U.S. compost right on the farm. And that number is growing.

“Composting is not new, but it’s still the way to go,” said Chris Bruynis, Ohio State University extension educator in Wyandot County. “When you look at other options, such as incineration, burying or dead livestock pickup, it’s the cheapest method. Composting is the most economical and environmental choice we have in dealing with livestock mortality.”

Bruynis and his staff will host the Livestock Mortality Composting Workshop in Carey, Ohio, March 7. The workshop runs from 7-9 p.m. at the Wyandot County Recycling Center, 11385 Highway 4. Soil and Water Conservation Districts from the counties of Seneca, Sandusky, Crawford and Wyandot also serve as hosts.
Another workshop will be March 8 at the OSU extension office in Licking County, located at 771 E. Main St., in Newark. This runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
“More and more farmers are composting on the premise,” said Bruynis. Farmers are often charged $60 to pick up an animal carcass, but Bruynis explained farmers already have everything they need to compost dead stock.

Suggested items include a tractor with a loader, or a skid steer, along with absorbent material to place under, around and over the dead animals. Perhaps the only thing needed is a stainless steel thermometer, one about three to four feet long, to monitor the internal temperature of the compost pile.

“There’s been enough research that shows that the compost process of the heat that’s generated kills all the pathogens that might have killed that animal, so we’re destroying the bacteria and viruses,” Bruynis said.

Composting works for all animals. For smaller ones like hogs and chickens, farmers can build special bins, preferably covered to keep rain out. But for adult cattle and horses, a simple pile works well.

“Most farmers I know use saw dust from green lumber they get from a saw mill,”  Bruynis said. “It’s not really an expensive process. The expense might come in making a concrete pad or some place to perform the compost operation. You need to make sure your facility is away from existing buildings and add a roof to the structure to keep dogs and wild animals away from the carcasses.”

Experts say composting piles won’t take long to erect, but the actual composting can take several months to a year. A pile started during the hot summer months can be finished in six months, while one started in cooler weather might take as long as a year.

For more information on the workshop in Carey, call 419-294-4931, and for Newark, 740-670-5315.