Dealing with Mortality Management
Tyler Kelley
| Sunday, July 07, 2002
"Bury the dead" is an old saying, but for the pork industry, rendering has been the most popular way to dispose of dead animals. However, that may be changing as other methods are gaining popularity.
A study by Iowa State University and the Iowa Pork Producers Association looked at various mortality management methods and how producers make related decisions. The study included data from nearly 300 Iowa producers who responded to a mail survey.
Results show that rendering is still the leading dead-animal disposal method, with about 35 percent of respondents relying solely on rendering services.
That's despite producer concerns about rising costs, declining availability and biosecurity issues.
However, many producers are moving toward using combinations of disposal methods, rather than relying exclusively on one.
"The most common combinations are rendering and burial, rendering and incineration, rendering and composting," says Tom Baas, Iowa State University swine specialist. There are other practical reasons why one method doesn't work in all situations. "Some producers use burial when the ground isn't frozen, and they use other methods when it is," says Marty Schwager, IPPA.
Composting is the method that's gaining popularity. "There's been a great deal of interest in composting," says Schwager. "The primary reasons are that rendering service has not been adequate and the costs have slowly been increasing."
Naturally, both are factors that producers consider when selecting their preferred mortality management method. For survey respondents, money and time loomed largest among producer concerns, with disease proving to be less of a factor.
Schwager notes that producers' decision-making factors include capital investment, labor costs, equipment needs, comfort and satisfaction levels. "It appears that rendering is still the most cost-effective method," says Schwager. "It has no major equipment costs and there's not a lot of additional labor. Incineration has high capital costs, and burial and composting require additional equipment, which have to be taken into account."
Baas points out that there is no single most cost-effective method. "On a cost-per-head-basis rendering is still pretty cost effective, depending on availability, but composting is closing in," he notes. "Also, you might want to consider biosecurity issues. Do you really want a rendering truck coming onto your farm?"
Deciding what method is right for you also depends on the nature of your operation. For example, incineration is more effective on smaller carcasses, so 29 percent of farrow-to-feeder pig operations used it, as well as 11 percent of the farrow-to-wean units polled. Feeder-to-finish operations most often opt for rendering, while farrow-to-feeder
operations use it the least.
For the most part, surveyed producers were satisfied with whichever disposal method they were using. Composting had the highest satisfaction score and burial the lowest, but the differences weren't significant.
Still, no method was without some criticism. About 21 percent of producers using rendering complained about poor service, an equal number cited cost as a concern. Even though participants were asked to comment on "problems," 3 percent of those using rendering praised the service they were getting and expressed concern about its future availability.
About 17 percent of producers using burial identified equipment and labor as problems. Frozen ground and scavenging animals were additional problems.
High fuel and maintenance costs were the most common problems for 17 percent of those using incineration. Producers using composting reported problems with frozen piles during the winter and with scavenging animals.
Every operation will have different needs and capabilities of mortality management. If you have concerns about costs or availability of rendering services in your area, you might consider the benefits and drawbacks of other methods.
Where to go for More Information
With all the choices you have for dead animal disposal, it's important that you get as much information as possible on which to base your decisions. Here are a few resources to provide you with more information.
- National Pork Board's "Composting" module. This module provides how-to information on mortality composting from site selection to compost utilization. The module costs $15 and can be ordered by calling (515) 223-2600, extension 621 or on the Web at www.porkboard.org/PorkStore/eap.asp.
- National Pork Board's "Principles of Mortality Composting for Pork Producers" video. This video provides you with a basic introduction to mortality composting, including benefits, principles, site selection and design. The video costs $15 and can be ordered by calling (515) 223-2600, extension 621 or on the Web at www.porkboard.org/PorkStore/eap.asp
- University of Missouri "Composting Dead Swine" booklet. This publication provides you with direction into composter location, ingredients, recipes, management, equipment and more. It also includes three sizing examples and a worksheet. The publication can be obtained by calling (800) 292-0969, or visiting the Web site at http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/envqual/wq0351.htm.
