In the UK, lambing season can start anytime from as early as November, all the way to June. Ensuring that this time period runs smoothly is vital as lambing season accounts for a large percentage of turnover.
The location, size of herd and many other factors will determine when farmers decide to start preparing for lambing season. During this time, sheep farmers are preparing to care for up to 15 million ewes across the UK! Preparation usually starts months in advance with farmers ensuring ewes are healthy enough to carry lambs.
Fallen Stock During Lambing Season
Unfortunately, no matter how good sheep farming practices are, not all ewes and lambs will survive. One of the biggest factors contributing towards the loss of ewes and lambs is the weather. With UK weather being so unreliable, it is hard for farmers to predict weather conditions during these months and adjust accordingly.
For example, last year in 2018 the UK were affected by the notorious €œBeast from the East€ which brought some of the coldest temperatures the UK has seen in years. The cold wave hit the UK with temperatures plummeting to as low as -10°C. This continued from February to March.
During this time, it was recorded that the 2018 lambing season hit around 250,000 lamb losses Adult losses were also the highest they’ve been in 5 years.
The dangerous weather conditions also caused a large pileup of dead livestock due to collection companies not being able to reach the farms. This left remaining lambs and ewes at risk of potential infection and disease and was also very distressing for farmers.
Why should you immediately remove dead livestock from your premises?
According to the guidelines set out in Article 21 of the EU Control Regulation, all animal fallen stock must be collected, identified and transported (or destroyed) without undue delay’.
Storing carcasses for extended periods of time can increase the risk of disease and infection. The carcasses attract vermin and insects which will multiply if left. Getting rid of the carcass the same day reduces any potential risk of infection or disease.
How should I dispose of fallen stock?
The most commonly used method of disposal is by collection. Please check the www.nfsco.co.uk website for details of your local collection service.
Since 2003, there has been a ban on burying dead live stock. This was put in place to protect the health of humans and animals as the ground can become contaminated with the leak of gas and body fluid. This can then make it’s way into the food and drink supply.
Disposal by incineration
All farmers know that during lambing season, dealing with fallen stock can be a costly distraction. Having an on-site incinerator can help you dispose of your fallen stock quickly and safely and save you money on collection fees.
Many successful farmers in the UK and overseas currently run one of our incinerators and have successfully reduced their landfill costs by destroying their own waste. In the past, we have seen farmers work co-operatively to purchase an incinerator that they share between farms. This helps to keep the cost down whilst providing an effective waste management solution.
As a farmer during lambing season, incineration gives you complete control of the process and peace of mind knowing that your waste is fully destroyed, reducing the risk of disease and infection to your other animals at this critical time.
What waste types can I incinerate?
Livestock waste can be varied. The list below shows just some of the waste types suitable for incineration:
- Fallen stock
- Butchery waste
- Animal By Products (ABP)
- Farm Slurry
- Stillborns
- Animal Bedding
- Contaminated waste
- Infected Carcasses
Why choose Inciner8?
INCINER8 have many years of experience dealing with bio-hazard emergencies and know the importance in providing the right products quickly to the right locations. All our animal incinerators are DEFRA approved and comply with EU Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR).
Our mobile incinerators allow for rapid disposal of infected animals over a wide area with a reduction in the cross contamination risk. For sheep and ewe incineration we have many models fit for this purpose. Some of our models we would recommend the I8-55A model or I8-140A.
The I8-55A Animal Incinerator
The i8-55A is a medium capacity animal incinerator from our range of ‘DEFRA Approved’ models. This option benefits from a simple top loading door and advanced secondary chamber technology to provide an environmentally friendly option for a variety of industries.
The I8-140A Animal Incinerator
The i8-140A is a high capacity animal incinerator which is suitable for disposing of large domestic animals, sheep, lambs and many others. This model benefits from a wide opening door and high hourly burn rates. This model is an ideal waste disposal solution for farms, shooting practices, slaughterhouses, abattoirs or veterinary practices.
For more information on our other animal incinerators, speak to one of our experts today.
