Burial

Burial is an acceptable method for dead animal disposal under certain circumstances.  Small operations (less than 300 A.U.) are allowed to bury routine mortalities, however, operations with 300 or more A.U. are not permitted to bury mortalities on the operation's property without written approval from the director of Manitoba Conservation and Climate.

Caution is required when selecting a burial site.  The site should be at least 100 m (328 ft) from any surface watercourse, sinkhole, spring or well, property boundary, and any source of water used for domestic purposes.  Areas with high groundwater levels or shallow aquifers must be avoided.

Mortalities can be placed in a trench which is backfilled each time a mortality is added.  Mortalities must be covered with a minimum one metre (3 feet) of soil.  It should be noted that, depending on soil conditions, decomposition can be very slow with mortalities remaining intact for five years or more.

During the winter, mortalities must be stored in a secure location (such as a covered trailer) where they are frozen and protected from scavengers until burial is possible in the spring.  If left unprotected, scavengers will drag the mortalities around, creating both a nuisance and a possible health hazard.  For small mortalities, it may be practical to store them in a designated freezer until the numbers are sufficient to justify burial. Some landfills are authorized to accept mortalities. Where permitted, the mortalities must be buried the same day they are delivered to the site.

Burial Links