Beef Research School: Dealing with Deadstock — Your Options, Plus Tips for Effective Composting

by

If you’ve got livestock, eventually you’ve got deadstock, too. Disposing of that deadstock can be a source of disease transmission or environmental contamination if not done properly, so it’s very important that ranchers and feedlot owners have a plan in place to deal with deadstock. There are several options available, all with pros and cons, but there’s also been much interest around composting. That interest has led to research to help map out the how and when of composting deadstock.

Read More: See more episodes of the Beef Research School here.

In this episode of the Beef Research School, Dr. Kim Stanford, with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, discusses the five ways in which ranchers may dispose of deadstock, noting not all are available in all areas. Stanford runs through the pros and cons of rendering, incineration, burial and natural exposure methods, and then expands on composting tips.

You’ll hear and see in the video below how composting deadstock works, how to build a pile, how to gauge if it’s working properly or not, how long it takes to compost bones and tissue, and learn how a little management can go a long way in safely disposing of deadstock.

If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

Subscribe to our daily newsletters to keep you up-to-date with our latest coverage every morning.

Wake up with RealAgriculture

 

Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.

Register