Making Composting Work on the Farm

In light of the recent specific restricted materials (SRM) requirements being placed on rendering plants, some may opt out of taking your livestock for processing. Because of this it is always important to have a mortality handling plan for the farm. If you are new to mortality composting there is help available to you. The key thing to remember is the Rule of 2's. Two feet of good sized carbon materials followed by two feet of covering materials over the animal. Above ground composting IMHO is the best way for all livestock owners to care for their on farm mortality. For more info and particular guidance see: http://composting.cas.psu.edu/NatRendering.htm

On Being a Good Scout

Be Prepared !

We always think about this after the car runs into the ditch or when the barn catches fire. Are we really, really prepared for emergencies? We are starting tornado season early this year and I have to think do we have our "ducks in a row" so to speak as to keeping our farms safe from a financial loss.

Be sure to have your insurance evaluated periodically. Ask your agent what ifs so that you can find out for example are the payments for actual expenses or a lump sum for loss. Does my insurance cover tornadoes or floods (some don't). What would you need in order to file a valid claim for losses.

Each farm is a little different, but all of us need to backup important things and contacts and either place them in a safety deposit box or give to a relative or friend out of the area so that you can get what you need when you need it. I have seen folks place photo negatives into vaults and come back to get them after fires or floods. Be sure to have a plan so that should disaster strike, you will be able to survive the aftermath.

Taking Time To Think Ahead

Americans are a bit fickle. They eat huge meals and wash it down with diet soft drinks. Think nothing of drinking bottle water, when nothing was wrong with what was coming out of the tap.

As time goes on we forget the sins we create with policy. Recent FDA actions to stop rendering larger cows and removing spinal tissues from all animal feeds has caused the cost of doing business to go up in price. The price of horses has dropped dramatically and the cost of rendering has increased to the point where the care and husbandry towards horses has actually decreased.

So for this group, we need to help them to either compost their animals or look for other available methods of approved disposal. Just ignoring the subject will not cut it as some will avoid the pickup fee and drag carcasses to the back of the field. Not my first choice in carcass disposal.

Whether we choose to limit antibiotics use or meat consumption, or condos in our neighborhoods, we need to think ahead of what hardships this may cause the general public. As the costs of production rise - guess what, the price of purchases will also increase. Sensible minds need to prevail.

Aftermath of Proposition 2 in California

For those who are maintaining flocks in California, Prop 2 will certainly create some confusion as to how they will continue to produce eggs in an efficient way. The Poultry Science Association (poultryscience.org) went on record stating that there is no scientific evidence that current production practices are detrimental to poultry flocks. Other studies have determined that due to this passage major losses in farm revenues will be seen as production leaves the state.

IMHO I think that cooler heads need to prevail. Nobody I know who cares for these animals wishes to see animals abused. It is a fact that farm animals that are stressed in any way are very unproductive. So, it is in the interest of producers no matter which system of production used to do the best job possible.

Welcome to the nest

Welcome to the Nest!

I hope that this blog will help answer some of those nagging questions you may have had in the past. And were afraid to ask.