Minimizing Nutrient Loss from Composting Animal Carcasses.

Disposal of animal carcasses is a challenge for animal producers, especially with increasing costs and more strict environmental control over rendering, burial, and incineration. Composting has been considered an inexpensive alternative for disposal of dead animals from production farms and offal from slaughter houses in the US. There is concern, however, especially in high precipitation regions such as Connecticut, of nutrient runoff and leaching when composting carcasses and offal because of the high concentration of N and other nutrients in the carcasses and offal. A previous study we completed to minimize the loss of nutrients from stacks of chicken manure indicated that covering the stacks with leaf mold and setting the stacks on a bed of finished compost significantly reduced nutrient loss. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of easily available materials with a high carbon content and low nutrient content to minimize loss of nutrients from stacks of composting carcasses. The results will be analyzed as repeated measures using a mixed linear model. , of nutrient runoff and leaching when composting carcasses and offal because of the high concentration of N and other nutrients in the carcasses and offal. A previous study we completed to minimize the loss of nutrients from stacks of chicken manure indicated that covering the stacks with leaf mold and setting the stacks on a bed of finished compost significantly reduced nutrient loss. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of easily available materials with a high carbon content and low nutrient content to minimize loss of nutrients from stacks of composting carcasses. The results will be analyzed as repeated measures using a mixed linear model. . There is concern, however, especially in high precipitation regions such as , of nutrient runoff and leaching when composting carcasses and offal because of the high concentration of N and other nutrients in the carcasses and offal. A previous study we completed to minimize the loss of nutrients from stacks of chicken manure indicated that covering the stacks with leaf mold and setting the stacks on a bed of finished compost significantly reduced nutrient loss. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of easily available materials with a high carbon content and low nutrient content to minimize loss of nutrients from stacks of composting carcasses. The results will be analyzed as repeated measures using a mixed linear model.