What ingredients are used for composting carcasses?
Carbon and nitrogen are the key ingredients in the composting process. In most cases, sawdust, wood shavings, chopped straw, or similar plant material is used to provide the carbon source. Carcass material, with the possible addition of small amounts of manure, will generally provide adequate nitrogen. Two sample recipes for composting carcasses are presented below. Ingredients may be altered depending on the availability and cost of the carbon source, but the carbon:nitrogen ratio must be kept near 23:1. The advantage of using sawdust is that it is clean, absorbent, and provides a large surface area for bacterial contact. Poultry litter has the added advantage of higher moisture and nitrogen content. If straw or corn stalks are used, they should be ground to create more surface area.
