As cleanup from June's severe weather continues, reports of animal mortalities are beginning to accumulate. North Dakota State University Extension and agency partners have gathered pertinent reporting and disposal information.

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), provided by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. To participate in LIP, producers will be required to provide acceptable documentation of beginning inventory and of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to the local FSA by the application deadline, March 1, 2026. Producers should record all pertinent information regarding livestock losses due to the eligible adverse weather or loss condition.

Beginning inventory examples can include the following:

• contemporaneous journal
• ear tag records
• invoices/canceled checks
• veterinary records
• chattel records
• insurance records
• bank records
• tax records
• brand records
• government records
• dairy records
• trucking records

Examples of death loss documentation include the following:

• contemporaneous journal
• dated pictures
• third-party statements
• veterinary records
• disposal invoices
• insurance records
• bank records
• tax records
• brand records
• government records
• dairy records

“LIP permits the use of contemporaneous records for proof of a producer’s inventory and death losses, which is a great opportunity for those producers who keep a running record, journal or cattle book on hand throughout the year,” says Beau Peterson, agricultural program director and state environmental coordinator with USDA FSA. “FSA offices and farm lenders throughout the state provide example cattle record books that are useful and can be used as evidence for your LIP applications.”

“If you experienced livestock deaths due to the recent severe weather, disposing of those carcasses will be one of your top priorities in the coming days,” says Mary Keena, NDSU Extension livestock environmental management specialist. “In North Dakota, animals that die for any reason must be disposed of in an approved method within 36 hours of death.”

“Burial, composting, landfilling, incineration and rendering are all approved methods of carcass disposal,” continues Keena. “Burning is also an approved method in certain situations, but should be used as a method of last resort.”

Euthanasia methods should be considered prior to disposal, according to Dr. Jake Galbreath, NDSU Extension veterinarian.

“If an animal was euthanized by a veterinarian using injectable drugs, further consideration of the disposal method is recommended to limit drug residue exposure to wildlife and potential pollution of groundwater,” says Dr. Galbreath.

Burying, landfilling or composting may be the easiest options for carcass disposal.

Burying

Keena says to avoid burying animals near surface water, such as streams or wetlands.

“If you are going to bury, be sure carcasses are placed 4 feet above the water table with 4 feet of cover,” says Keena. “If possible, bury livestock in clay soils.” 

Landfilling

If the disposal of carcasses exceeds typical carcass management resources, or the number of carcasses is too large, contact the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality for technical assistance in selecting an appropriate disposal site.

Carcasses should be disposed of at an approved municipal solid waste landfill: https://deq.nd.gov/foia/SolidWaste/ActiveSWLandfillsMSWLF.aspx. Contact the landfill for specific disposal protocols and to determine if they will accept the carcasses.

Composting

Composting is an above-ground burial process that uses resources already available on an operation.

Keena says composting requires the following materials:

• Base material: straw, old hay, coarse crop residues (corn stalks), sunflower hulls
• Bulking material: manure or spoiled fermented feedstuffs
• Cover material: straw, old hay, sawdust

Follow these instructions to properly compost:

1. Place 2 feet of base material in a pile or a long row, depending on the number of dead livestock to be composted.
2. Lay dead livestock on top of the base. Have at least 1 foot of base material between the perimeter of dead livestock and the edge of the base.
3. Cover dead livestock with 8 to 10 inches of bulking material.
4. Cover the entire pile or long row with 2 feet of cover material.

Keena provides a few key things to remember when composting:

• Small-sized dead livestock (livestock able to be lifted by hand) can be layered next to or stacked on top of one another, given there is bulking material between them so they are not touching.
• If composting ruminants, puncture the rumen to prevent it from exploding.
• Make sure the pile always has sufficient cover material to keep bulking material and dead livestock covered.
• Aerate the compost every six months from early spring to late fall. To accelerate composting, aerate it every two months from early spring to late fall.
• Existing compost can be used to cover new piles or long rows.

A video containing livestock disposal information, Livestock Disaster: Mortality Disposal Methods, can be found on the NDSU Extension YouTube channel. For more information about site selection for carcass disposal, contact the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality at https://deq.nd.gov/Contactus.aspx.   

Because cleanup after these severe weather events can be drawn out, stress levels may remain elevated for extended periods of time, which can have a negative effect on physical and mental health.

“Your health is your most important asset,” says Sean Brotherson, NDSU Extension family science specialist. “We encourage you to seek help if recent events are taking a toll on your outlook.”

Brotherson advises those who are struggling and need immediate emotional support to text or call 9-8-8 to connect with a caring counselor who is ready to help.

NDSU Extension has farm stress resources available at ndsu.ag/farm-stress.

For more information about disposing of dead livestock and managing stress, contact your county NDSU Extension agent at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – July 7, 2025

Source: Mary Keena, 701-652-2951, mary.keena@ndsu.edu

Source: Beau Peterson, 701-893-2231, beau.peterson@usda.gov

Source: Jake Galbreath, 701-231-5738, justin.galbreath@ndsu.edu

Source: Sean Brotherson, 701-231-6143, sean.brotherson@ndsu.edu

Editor: Dominic Erickson, 701-231-5546, dominic.erickson@ndsu.edu