HOMOGENIZATION FOR DISPOSAL OF DEAD PIGLET CARCASSES

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using a commercial homogenization system todispose of dead piglets in existing swine waste handling systems. Eight polyethylene tanks in each of two trials were filledwith 680 L (180 gal) of liquid swine waste to mimic conditions of a waste storage pit. Each tank was assigned randomlyto one of four treatments: 0% (control)swine waste containing no ground dead piglets; 1%, 2% or 4%swine waste towhich ground dead piglet dry matter was added at 1%, 2% or 4% of the initial tank dry matter. Dead piglets 1.3 to 5.5 kg(2.9 to 12.1 lb) each and placentas were ground with a commercial homogenizing system. Two additional tanks in eachtrial were filled with liquid swine waste. Sixteen Dacron bags were suspended in each tank. Four bags contained nothing(control) and 12 bags (treated) contained about 7 g (0.25 oz) of carcass dry matter. One control bag and three treatedbags were removed on Day 15, 30, 60, and 90 for determination of mass change. Addition of piglet dry matter to tanks at0%, 1%, 2%, or 4% of the manure dry matter in the tank had no effect on the breakdown rate of dry matter in the tanks.Mass of control bags did not change during the experiment. Dacron bags containing piglet carcass dry matter lostsignificant amounts of mass compared with control bags, suggesting breakdown of carcass material in the bags. Initialstudies indicate that introduction of homogenized dead piglets into existing liquid handling systems for swine wastes is apractical disposal alternative for piglet carcasses.