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Random cheerful photo.
Yesterday in the comments on my post about Nutmeg’s littlest baby dying, the question was raised–what do you do with the body? I wasn’t sure I really wanted to answer that question. And maybe some people don’t want the answer, in which case STOP READING.
NOW.
You had your chance.
Okay.
Clover was a special case. I had her at the vet’s office at the time. She was cremated. Taking her ashes home wasn’t part of the deal, and I was okay with that. I was pretty emotional at the time and was just glad that she was being taken care of in a way that was better than I could have accomplished on my own. Not long after that, by the way, Cookie Doe also died unexpectedly, and I didn’t write about it because I was still so emotional about Clover. Nutmeg, Sprite, and Fanta are my only does at this time, other than my plans to keep Maia and the little white baby. I suspect Cookie Doe died for similar reasons as Clover, but I didn’t have her at the vet’s so I’m not sure.
I often look at BP and wonder what I will do when she dies. Cows are big. But I know…. I have discussed it with my hired man.
What happens when an animal dies depends on the circumstances and the size of the animal. Last summer I lost two sheep–MinnieBelle was dragged off, so that wasn’t an issue. But the young ram was in the field. I’ve had babies die, and I’ve had older sheep and older goats die. If you’re going to have livestock, you’re going to have deadstock, that is just a fact of life.
At home on the farm, there are a few options, and every decision is individual to the time and the animal and the situation and your abilities. This may sound strange, but as heartbreaking as it can be, this past year has been an empowering experience for me. Taking care of deadstock is a man’s job. If there’s a man on the farm, he usually handles “the problem” and the woman walks away. I didn’t so much as touch a dead chicken at Stringtown Rising. And I liked it that way, but it is a removal from reality that I’m no longer afforded. I don’t always have a man here to help me. I have to shoulder these events on my own, and handle them however I can. Taking responsibility from birth to death makes me feel stronger. Even though physically, I’m not. But I do what I can.
I don’t want to go into specifics according to any animal by name, but here are the various ways it can be handled. A large animal, such as a horse or a cow (which I haven’t had to deal with yet), would have to be moved with a tractor (and when that happens, I will call for help). A medium-sized animal might be carried, depending on the person’s strength, or placed in a wagon. A smaller animal can be tucked into a towel to be moved. A large or medium animal is probably not going to be moved very far, but would be moved to as remote a place on the farm as possible, depending on the size and where it can be moved. I keep agricultural lime in the barn, which speeds decomposition. For a smaller animal, a ravine a few miles away makes a good “burial” spot. Some people might dig a hole for small or medium animals, but I don’t have that ability. A hole needs to be deep. Or, if choosing the “ravine burial” method, it needs to be a few miles away. The worst thing that can happen is if parts come back to you on the porch because the hole wasn’t deep enough or the ravine wasn’t far enough away and the dogs found it.
How I handle a death is how I can. And when I come back to the house, in the middle of the sadness, I know I did it, by myself, and there is that sense of empowerment that comes with it. A farm is life and death, on any given day. I face it and I take responsibility for it. And whatever I do in a given situation, it often follows holding that animal as it dies–and then doing the unthinkable afterward.
I’m tougher than I used to be, and I’m proud of that.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on February 14, 2013
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Thank you.
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My first larger farm animal to die, a Nigerian Dwarf wether named BamBam, left me to drag him to a spot that I wanted him to be buried and my neighbor kindly used his backhoe to dig a 5 ft deep hole (county regulations 4 ft of dirt on top of the animal)and fill it in, while I was at work. I have a wonderful neighbor. The other goats mourned his loss for several days. I have yet to lose a baby goat but I am sure, as the cycle of life continues on this farm, it will happen. I am sure that I will handle it but with great sadness. Suzanne, you often give me courage and the knowledge that I can run this farm on my own with a little help from my friends.
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Nancy in Iowa
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It is illegal to send sheep to the renderer because of scabies and sheep can get pretty good sized…so it’s either dig a deep hole or compost ‘em. Another thing that is illegal is for a vet to euthanize an animal, then have the rendering truck pick her up for use at a rendering plant – big no-no due to the barbituate used in killing her. – just an fyi –
In my lifetime I’ve had some horses die of old age (and one shot by a hunter – grrrr.) Renderers charge $400 for these, but I wouldn’t use one anyway for a horse. Horses are quite a bit different in my book and require a backhoe and decent burial here on the farm (butt to the wind always).
Death is just a part of life….no need for people to get squeamish or overly sentimental (well, it’s OK on that last one 8-)) I know a cattleman in the neighboring county who composts his dead animals. It really looks disgusting, but isn’t a bad way to do it theoretically…the suburban people really freak out though and I too am turned off by the sight of it…bottom line is “keep ‘em all alive” (I wish!!)
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All the best to you and fingers crossed no more losses this year.
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I love the saying “that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”. Seems to apply in this case. Your growth and strength are amazing. I applaud you for taking on the subject and once again sharing your “real” life with us.
Rhonda
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Sorry you had to deal with all the death lately.
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Pat in Eastern NC
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I think if I had to opt for a surface grave at my place, I might have to put a hedgerow in the line of sight, I wouldn’t want to accidentally glimpse the process. I think tossing a body in the untraveled woods is a fine option, providing food and nutrients for other animals and plants.
I’ve looked a little bit into green burial for me. Don’t want to pollute with the crematory, don’t want to be locked into a vault. There are a couple of cemeteries in Washington that bury you in a shroud, and the family can plant native plants on you.
Taking care of our dead is something modern life has taken out of many of us, and learning how to do it in a way that works for our land and our hearts is a powerful thing.
RIP little goat, wherever you rest.
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I have found I actually can dig a hole deep enough by using a post hole digger and letting water ‘stand’ in a shallow indentation to soften the ground beneath.
Still never easy to lose our animals.
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Peace and love to you in your sadness!
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On the ‘cleanup’ note: I’ve heard that LGDs are usually very efficient at helping clean up. I don’t have personal experience, and I’m not sure I would recommend that method (especially not for a large animal), but for all of the readers here, it’s just a thought. I do know they will clean up afterbirth and offal from slaughter if you leave it around. They do it out of instinct because they know it will attract predators, and their job is to keep those predators away.
Personally, we have a spot in the woods where we take our deceased critters. I have learned over time to detach my feelings from the physical body which is no longer occupied, and to leave what is left for nature to take care of. We go back later and collect and bury any bones left around. Mostly because it makes us feel better, really. I’ve taken a horse to a render-er, and it is an awful place. Better if they come pick them up, but still a hard experience. We are fortunate to have a lab nearby that will do a necropsy and dispose of the rest, all for less than the cost to have the render-er come pick up the body. I had to do that once (with a horse) as well, and it was easier and less traumatic.
Thanks for being a strong woman farmer, and for sharing your hard times and triumphs with us! You have sparked an important conversation here, and hopefully some folks will find your post, and the comments, helpful in easing the pain (and difficulty) of a loss and subsequent disposal.