October 9, 2008

Composting dead horses is being promoted as a new and green way of disposing of their carcasses.

Oklahoma State University's Co-operative Extensions Service is even running a field day on the process, developed through a research grant.

The end composting process is described as a safe, economical alternative for livestock carcass disposal.

The university said disposing of any large animal's carcass has been a problem for many owners, and often a costly one.

The field day, on Octber 14, will look at the method developed, which involves leaving the body on the ground on a bed of straw and heaping compostible material on top.

"Livestock producers will gain beneficial knowledge about the environment, disease prevention and cost benefits of composting dead livestock carcasses," says Josh Payne, OSU Co-operative Extension area animal waste management specialist.

The university's research indicates that high temperatures achieved through proper composting will destroy most pathogens and viruses, while micro-organisms will degrade the carcass, leaving only a few small bone fragments which are brittle and will break easily.

This valuable byproduct can then be applied as a fertiliser source, adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil.

"We kind of look at it as a value-added product," Pugh says. "A lot of producers have old hay that they don't know what to do with, and this is a way that you could dispose of a carcass and then reapply it back to your land the next year and the grass would get some nutrients out of it."

The Oklahoma Co-operative Extension Service is hosting a Large Animal Carcass Composting Field Day on Octber 14 at the Haskell County Fair Barn in Stigler. Those interested in attending are asked to pre-register with the Haskell County Extension Office at 918-967-4330, by no later than October 10.