Proper protocol should be followed by Texas cattle producers when disposing of carcasses, says the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Hundreds of head of livestock are expected to be reported dead in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

"Improperly handled dead animals in large numbers are a potential threat to water and air quality, and possibly human health as well,” Dr. Brent Auvermann, an AgriLife Extension waste management engineer in Amarillo. “They have to be disposed of with deliberate care and attention to the environment."

The Texas Animal Health Commission is coordinating the disposal of carcasses with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in situations where there a large numbers, said Carla Everett, information officer for the animal health commission.

Anyone with large numbers of dead livestock can contact the Texas Animal Health Commission’s area command at 800-550-8242, ext. 296.
For more information or guidance on building a carcass composting pile, Auvermann can be contacted at 806-677-5600 or b-auvermann@tamu.edu.