The Rural Voice, 2002-03, Page 32r
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Returned
to nature
Composting deadstock
proves to be inexpensive,
convenient disposal
method with no problem
side effects
Story by Keith Roulston
Photos courtesy
Heronbrook Farm Ltd.
Mad cow disease hit the
rendering industry hard,
reducing the market for
mortalities from livestock farms and
hurting the financial position of
deadstock removal companies.
Concern about drug residues from
animals treated before they died also
limits markets for the companies.
Faced with tougher times, deadstock
companies in some cases have
imposed charges for pickups or have
just plain gone out of business,
leaving livestock farmers worrying
about what to do with those animals
that don't make it to market.
But for Chris and Matt Cockle
who operate Heronbrook Farm Ltd.,
a large 1500 -sow farrow -to -finish
farm near Embro, disposal is as easy
as taking dead animals to large
composting bins built across the
outside of one end wall of their barn.
"It's very simple, very user-
friendly," Chris Cockle told farmers
28 THE RURAL VOICE
Heronbrook's composting bins
are neatly contained in a roofed
structure along one end of their
barn (top). A small tractor is used
to move animals to the bins
(above). A deep covering of
sawdust and shavings keeps
smells and flies down (right). At
the cnd of the composting period
the compost is moved outdoors
to continue the process.
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