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 implemented in meat goat or other livestock operations.
A sound herd health program dictates that goats or other livestock dying from unknown causes should be transported to a state or university diagnostic laboratory for necropsy (animal autopsy). This in turn places the burden of carcass disposal on the state. Producers are charged a fee, however, for a necropsy and subsequent carcass disposal. It is obvious that some dead goats must be disposed of by the farmer. Current options for disposal of carcasses include burial, incineration, composting, landfills, and rendering. If composting is available, it is excellent way to dispose of livestock carcasses.
