Intro
This article will provide a basic “under the hood” understanding of how mortality composting works. Composting can be a safe and effective way to dispose of and utilize normal unavoidable livestock and poultry mortality. To successfully conduct mortality composting appropriate equipment and structures need to be installed and required daily management practices must be followed. A basic understanding of the underlying principles will help to properly and effectively complete daily management practices. The potential consequences of poor management of mortality compost are ineffective or incomplete pasteurization of diseases, problems with vectors such as flies and scavengers, excessive and objectionable odors, water quality concerns, neighbor complaints, as well as regulatory and legal problems. With good management these potential problems are avoided or minimized and the resulting compost material can be uses as a beneficial soil amendment.
