Organic certification adds a layer of scrutiny to almost every input and output on a holding, and organic farm fallen stock collection is one of the areas where inspectors expect the paperwork to be complete rather than approximately right. Organic standards do not create a separate disposal route for dead animals, but they do put mortality, veterinary treatment and record keeping under closer examination than a conventional inspection does. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved business in Burscough providing licensed fallen stock and ABP collection to organic and conventional holdings alike across Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria and North Wales.
This article explains what an organic inspection looks for in the fallen stock record, why the same statutory rules apply, and how to keep the disposal side of an organic system straightforward.
The Statutory Position Is Identical
It is worth stating plainly, because it is occasionally misunderstood. Organic status does not create an exemption from the animal by-products framework. The prohibition on on-farm burial and burning that has applied in the United Kingdom since 2003 applies to organic holdings, and the duty of care under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 to have fallen stock collected within twenty-four hours of discovery applies equally. Composting a dead ewe is not permitted on an organic holding any more than it is on a conventional one, notwithstanding that composting is central to organic nutrient management for other materials.
Fallen cattle and sheep are handled as Category 1 material on specified risk material and TSE grounds, and cattle over forty-eight months require BSE sampling. Our Category 1 ABP collection service holds Animal By-Products Licence No APB/CCN21/373/8002 and Martlands is a DEFRA approved sampling facility, so that testing forms part of the collection.
Why the Mortality Record Gets More Attention
Organic livestock systems restrict prophylactic treatment, extend withdrawal periods and require animals to have outdoor access for a substantial part of the year. Those constraints are exactly the ones an inspector will test against the health record. Mortality figures are read as an indicator of whether the system is working for the animals in it, so a rising or unexplained mortality rate prompts questions about stocking, housing, parasite management and the health plan.
The point for the farmer is that a complete disposal record supports the answer rather than undermining it. A holding that can produce a Commercial Document for every recorded death is demonstrating that its mortality figure is truthful. A holding whose collections do not match its records leaves the inspector to draw a conclusion about which figure is wrong.
Veterinary Treatment and Disposal Together
Organic inspection routinely cross-checks the medicine book against the mortality record. Where an animal received treatment shortly before death, the inspector is looking at whether the treatment was justified, correctly recorded, and whether the withdrawal period was observed for anything that entered the food chain. An animal that died and was collected as fallen stock did not enter the food chain, and the Commercial Document is what proves that.
The same applies to animals euthanised on welfare grounds. Where a barbiturate agent has been used, the carcass is Category 1 material for that reason as well, and the route must reflect it. Our note on animals euthanised with barbiturates covers this. Prompt, licensed disposal closes the question rather than leaving it open.
Keeping the Three Records Aligned
An organic holding should be able to lay three documents side by side and have them agree. The holding register or flock record showing the death, the medicine record showing any treatment, and the Commercial Document showing lawful disposal. Every Martlands collection produces the third of these, recording the category of material, the number and species of animals, the date, the collecting vehicle and the receiving premises. Bookings placed through the KoLeCt system carry a timestamp against your holding number, which evidences the reporting date independently of your own notes.
Our guidance on fallen stock record keeping sets out a straightforward filing approach, and the same records serve a Red Tractor assessment where a holding carries both certifications.
Storage Standards on an Organic Unit
Organic systems often house stock less intensively and use outdoor ranging more, which means carcasses are found further from the yard and scavenger pressure is higher. The storage requirement is unchanged. Material awaiting collection must be secure against birds, foxes, dogs and other livestock, must not leak into a watercourse and must not create a nuisance. A covered hard-standing point near a road access solves the problem for the whole year, and it is also what allows a same-day collection to actually happen in wet conditions.
Organic Ground in Our Service Area
Organic livestock in the North West is concentrated on the upland and marginal ground where the system suits the land, and on dairy holdings supplying organic processors. We collect across the Westmorland fallen stock collection area and the southern Lakes, through the Ribble Valley by way of Longridge fallen stock collection, and across the Cheshire fallen stock collection dairy belt. The M6 and M56 corridors keep response realistic across that whole span from Burscough.
Arranging Collection
To set up a collection arrangement for an organic holding, or to book a collection now, call 01704 776977 or use the contact us page. Our farm and fallen stock collection service offers same-day availability, provides full documentation with every removal, and as NFSCO members we can process collections through the national scheme where your holding is registered.
