SWINE&U

hands-off overview of composting, showcased construction of compost piles and explained the materials, resources required, mechanics, and value of setting up proper compost piles.

Hands-on Training

training they learned to use the thermometer properly in a compost pile. The 36-inch thermometer is a tool used to ascertain whether the compost is working properly, breaking down the mortalities and deactivating the pathogens. A common misconception about compost is that heat kills pathogens. Participants learned that heat in the compost is evidence that the biological process which inactivates disease is taking place.

SWINE & U

By Diane DeWitte

Through these past five years, Minnesota’s pork producers, swine veterinarians, university researchers, commodity groups, state agriculture agencies and allied industry have worked together to have a plan in place in the event of an animal health catastrophe or a disastrous weather or fire event. In the case of a calamitous number of pig deaths, everyone needs to know how the mortalities could be managed.

The latest preparedness step taken, spearheaded by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, was hosting a Carcass Management Training for members of the swine and poultry industries. Working together with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health first offered a one-day informational meeting in May. The meeting was held at the University of Minnesota’s Southwest Research and Outreach Center west of Lamberton, Minn. where previous depopulation and disposal research trials have been conducted by MDA, Board of Animal Health and the University of Minnesota.

At the May meeting the group was introduced to mortality compost experts Mark Hutchinson and Gary Flory. Hutchinson is a University of Maine Extension Professor Emeritus, well-known across the United States for his animal composting expertise. Flory owns GA Flory Consulting, a 20-year-old company focused on training, education, preparedness and research related to animal disease and natural disaster response.

On that day, Hutchinson and Flory provided a

The Emergency Carcass Management Training Course was conducted over three days in June, also hosted at SWROC west of Lamberton. Compost educators Hutchinson and Flory were joined by Dr. Bill Seekins, compost expert formerly of the Maine Department of Agriculture. Seekins has long been part of a compost education and research effort established in Maine in 1990.

The three educators led a group of 20 industry and agency representatives through an intense three-day training course to equip them to conduct on-site composting in response to an animal health emergency. The goal was to prepare the attendees to compost large numbers of livestock efficiently and effectively to prevent the spread and reintroduction of communicable and contagious diseases including Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and African swine fever.

The training’s purpose was to prepare poultry and swine industry partners to assist Minnesota’s state animal health officials by composting diseased and depopulated livestock during a disease outbreak. Educators Flory, Hutchinson and Seekins currently work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to train composting subject matter experts across the country. They’ve put together a uniform curriculum which includes a competency exam and requirements that the trained individuals participate with an experienced subject matter expert for two weeks at a mortality disposal site.

The Minnesota group represented individuals from the swine industry and poultry representatives from turkey, broiler and layer operations. University of Minnesota Extension educators participated in addition to personnel from MDA and the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.

The classroom education provided the elements and biological principles of composting, the critical aspects of building a functioning compost “pile,” how to select appropriate compost materials, and how to calculate the quantity of materials needed based on the amount of animal or poultry mortalities. Participants also learned how to integrate feed, eggs and poultry litter into the compost piles. In a disease event, all these materials must be composted along with the mortalities.

Participants were asked to purchase a specific compost thermometer; and during the three-day

Each of the three days of training also included hands-on exercises outside. Participants were divided into groups and evaluated ten types of compost materials for use in the piles.

In May, Hutchinson and Flory had built compost piles using birds and pigs provided by industry. In June, one hands-on exercise involved checking those piles four weeks later during the training. As the trainers dug into the piles, they showed participants exactly what to look for: “chimneys” indicating air flow through the piles; evidence of good carbon and nitrogen composition in the pile; and the contents of the “core” of the pile; how had the microbial activity composted the animal and poultry mortalities.

A week prior to the June training, Dr. Seekins built five different compost piles without mortalities, but with problems: too dry, too wet, too much carbon material, too much nitrogen material, and one balanced pile. Participants were asked to evaluate the piles and determine what the problems were. Participants quickly learned how the presence of flies, leachate, cracks, odor, and temperatures were indications of problems or proper operation of compost piles.

By the third day, participants and the educators called the week “Compost Camp” and the capstone activity of the day was group work in the field. Participants went through the detailed practice of donning biosecurity gear then went to the site to build their compost piles. Each group was assigned several pig or turkey mortalities and turned loose to choose compost feedstock which was available close by. After pile construction each group discussed their reasoning for feedstock, pile composition and siting.

Compost Camp also included an introduction to the Incident Command System, a review of all variations of animal mortality disposal, an overview of Minnesota livestock mortality regulations, biosecurity education, and a synopsis of livestock mortality remuneration.

Participants of the three-day training who successfully passed the exam are on their way to full certification as composting subject matter experts. The Board of Animal Health’s hosting of this training increased the number of individuals available to competently assist in carcass management; albeit