Poultry units run at scale, and even on a well-managed broiler or laying farm, a baseline level of daily mortality is unavoidable. Handling that mortality lawfully and hygienically is a core part of running a compliant unit, and Martlands provides licensed poultry fallen stock collection as part of our wider fallen stock and ABP collection service. We are a family-run, DEFRA approved operator based in Burscough, Lancashire, and we collect fallen poultry across the North West and beyond under the correct documentation every time.
Why Poultry Mortality Needs a Licensed Collector
Dead birds are an animal by-product, and on-farm burial or burning has been illegal in the UK since 2003, outside very limited remote-area exceptions. That applies just as much to poultry as to cattle or sheep. Fallen birds must be stored appropriately and collected by a licensed waste carrier for processing at an approved facility. For poultry keepers, the volume and frequency are the real challenge, because mortality accrues daily rather than in occasional single losses, so the collection arrangement needs to match the rhythm of the unit.
Storage Between Collections
Because birds are collected in batches, on-farm storage matters. Carcasses should be held in sealed, leak-proof, vermin-proof containers on hardstanding away from the live flock, ideally chilled or frozen where high ambient temperatures would otherwise accelerate decomposition. Good storage is not only a hygiene measure, it is a biosecurity one, since accumulating carcasses attracts scavengers and vermin that move pathogens around a site. Keeping fallen birds isolated from the production sheds reduces that risk considerably.
The Avian Influenza Dimension
Poultry keepers face a disease threat that other livestock sectors do not in the same way, and a sudden spike in mortality can be the first sign of notifiable disease. Where avian influenza is suspected, the rules change and the situation moves into APHA control rather than routine collection, so it is vital to recognise the difference between normal baseline losses and an abnormal event. Our explainer on what is avian influenza sets out the warning signs and why prompt reporting matters. Routine fallen stock collection and a disease outbreak are handled very differently, and knowing which situation you are in protects both your flock and the wider sector.
Documentation for Poultry Producers
Every collection we make is accompanied by a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Note. For poultry producers supplying packers or operating under assurance schemes, retaining these records in order is part of demonstrating that mortality is being managed lawfully. As an NFSCO member and a holder of all three ABP category licences, we can show the full chain from your shed to processing, which is exactly what an auditor wants to see.
Serving Poultry Units Across the Region
Lancashire has a significant poultry presence, and our base in Burscough puts us within easy reach of units across the county and into neighbouring areas. Producers can read about our county-wide Lancashire fallen stock collection coverage, while those nearer the city can see our local Preston fallen stock collection arrangements. Wherever your unit sits, we can build a collection frequency that keeps storage manageable and your site compliant.
Matching Collection Frequency to Flock Size
The right frequency depends on the type of unit. A laying flock produces a fairly steady trickle of mortality over a long production cycle, suiting a regular scheduled collection, while a broiler operation sees losses concentrated differently across a crop and a clear-out at the end of each cycle. We work with poultry keepers to set a frequency that keeps stored carcasses to a manageable level between visits, taking account of your housing, your storage capacity and the depopulation pattern of your sheds, so that mortality never builds up to the point where it becomes a hygiene or biosecurity concern on a working unit.
Arranging Collection
Whether you run a small free-range laying flock or a large broiler operation, the legal position is the same and a reliable licensed collector removes the burden of managing it. To set up regular poultry fallen stock collection tailored to your mortality rate and storage capacity, call Martlands on 01704 776977 and we will arrange a schedule that fits your unit.
