​Maryland Small Ruminant Page

Using average weights of 30 pounds for a pre-weaning goat and 125 pounds for a nanny goat, the amount of mortality produced by the typical 25-nanny goat operation is approximately 275 pounds per year. Still-born kids, mummified fetuses and afterbirth add to this estimates.

In order to protect the health of herds and farm personnel, avoid air, soil and water contamination, and avoid problems with both agricultural and non-agricultural neighbors, biologically and environmentally safe methods of dead animal disposal must be employed on meat goat operations.

A sound herd health program dictates that goats dying from unknown causes be transported to a Department of Agriculture Diagnostic Laboratory for autopsy. This in turn places the burden of carcass disposal on the state. Producers are charged a fee, however, for an autopsy and subsequent carcass disposal by incineration. It is obvious that some dead goats must be disposed of by the farmer. Current options for disposal of carcasses include burial, incineration, and composting.

Disposal by burial

Burial is the most common and perhaps least expensive method of dead animal disposal. A pit is dug, into which carcasses are placed. Deep burial (i.e. 4-8 feet) is generally recommended. The practice of covering dead animals with lime retards decomposition and is not recommended. Dead goats should never be buried in areas where leaching can occur.

Problems with burial as a method of dead animal disposal include odor from and the accessibility of scavengers to "dead pits" that are not properly covered. There is also the possibility of significant ground and surface water contamination, for which producers may be held liable. Finally, goats do not die only when the ground is soft. Burying dead goats in frozen earth may be difficult.
 

Disposal by incineration

Incinerators completely eliminate carcasses and destroy pathogens. The capacity of many incinerators is limited, so this method of disposal works best for goats weighing less than 50 pounds.

In general, incinerators are expensive to buy and to operate. For example, purchase price of an incinerator with 600-pound capacity has been estimated at $2,500 and annual operating costs (i.e. fuel, maintenance, etc.) May approach $1,000. Certain types of incinerators may generate air pollution and objectionable odors.

 

Disposal by composting

The action of thermophilic, aerobic bacteria converts nitrogen rich (e.g. dead animals) and carboniferous (e.g. straw, sawdust, etc.) Materials into humic acids, bacterial biomass and organic residue (compost). During the composting process, heat, carbon dioxide and water are generated as by-products. The resulting product is free from harmful pathogens, is nutrient-rich and can be used as fertilizer. The poultry and swine industries have adopted composting as the method of choice for ridding farms of dead animals.

In a typical system, carcasses are placed in a bin containing sawdust, creating an ideal environment for the growth of the aforementioned bacteria. The optimal carbon to nitrogen ratio for bacteria is approximately 30:1.Bacterial action rapidly heat compost piles to temperatures as high as 160F and within several weeks carcasses are reduced, leaving only brittle bones which are easily crumbled. "Turning" the compost pile by moving it to a new bin (i.e. secondary bin) after two weeks