Disposing of animal carcasses
How to dispose of animal carcasses including farmed animals, pets and wild animals, and where to find advice.
Farmers are responsible for the disposal of their fallen stock. Any fallen stock should be collected, identified and transported without 'undue delay', ie as soon as reasonably practical.
For disposal of farmed animal carcasses under 48 months old, you should contact the (NFSCo) or your local Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) .
For fallen cattle over 48 months old, you need to contact an approved transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) sampling site within 24 hours of the animal's death to have the animal collected, tested and disposed of. See further details in .
Animals usually regarded as farm species include sheep, cattle, pigs, goats, poultry, horses and other equine species.
Burying animal carcasses
You must not bury animal carcasses or parts of carcasses on your land. The exceptions to this are:
- during outbreaks of notifiable disease if there is a lack of capacity at rendering plants and incinerators
- if transporting the carcasses would spread disease
You must have permission from your local Divisional Veterinary Office before you bury carcasses. During disease outbreaks, you can get advice on suitable disposal methods by contacting your local Divisional Veterinary Office.
Burying pets and wild animals
You are allowed to bury dead pets on your own premises, in an authorised pet cemetery or landfill site.
Wild animals are not covered by animal by-product controls, unless they are thought to be diseased. Wild animals include:
- wild deer
- wild boar
- rabbits
- foxes
- rats
- squirrels
- moles
- wild birds
If you have killed a wild animal as vermin or to reduce its population, you need to dispose of the carcass appropriately. This includes animals caught in a trap or snare, and animals that have been shot. Wild animal carcasses are classed as waste, and you have a legal duty of care to handle, store and dispose of waste safely, so you don't cause pollution or attract vermin.
Burning animal carcasses
You must not burn any animal carcasses in the open. You can only burn animal carcasses if:
- you are in a designated remote area
- there is a disease outbreak and there is a lack of capacity at rendering plants and incinerators
- if transporting the carcasses would spread the disease
If you burn animal carcasses in an incinerator on your farm, you may need a pollution prevention and control permit or registered exemption depending on the size of your activity.