Two dead hens in the house this morning. The easiest thing is to bury them behind the shed. A week later a fox has dug up the hole and the neighbor’s dog is carrying bones around the yard. Dead birds are the main source of infection on a farm: pathogens persist and multiply in them, and any predator, rodent or fly carries them further. That’s why many countries regulate the disposal of fallen stock strictly.
What the law says
In the EU, dead farmed poultry is a Category 2 animal by-product (Regulation 1069/2009). It can’t be buried or burned in the yard: carcasses go to rendering, a licensed collection point or incineration. Burial is allowed only in certain remote areas. Birds on a farm aren’t pets, even if there are only a dozen hens. Other countries have their own rules, but the idea is the same: dead animals are disposed of by an authorized service.
How to store them until collection
- Collect dead birds every day, wearing gloves.
- Put them in a sturdy lidded container or a double bag.
- Keep them somewhere cool, away from the house, feed and water — ideally in a separate freezer that’s never used for food.
- The storage spot must be out of reach of dogs, cats, foxes and rats.
- Afterward, wash your hands and boots and disinfect tools.
When to call the vet
- mortality jumps over a day or two for no clear reason;
- several birds die with similar signs: bluish combs, swollen heads, blood from the beak, neurological signs;
- outbreaks of avian influenza or Newcastle disease have been announced in the area.
In many countries avian influenza is a notifiable disease: owners must report a suspicion. In that case, carcasses aren’t touched or removed until the veterinary authority says so (on avian influenza).
Sending one or two dead birds to a lab for necropsy is the fastest way to learn why the flock is dying instead of treating blind. What mortality is normal is covered in the mortality article.
If many birds die
With mass mortality — from disease, heat or an equipment failure — call the veterinary authority and the disposal service at once. Don’t haul the birds away or bury them yourself: with a dangerous disease that can spread it to neighboring farms. How to prepare for equipment failures is in the emergency plan article.
Disposal as part of biosecurity
The collection truck visits many farms. Put the container for it at the farm boundary, not by the poultry house, and keep the driver away from the birds. More on keeping infection out in the biosecurity article.
Mortality in your records
In EggPulse mortality is logged daily by house, and the home screen warns you if it rises over several inspections in a row. Those records help the vet: when the deaths began, in which house and how fast they rose.
