A fallen stock incinerator can look like an appealing answer to the problem of dead animals on farm. Burn the carcass on site, avoid waiting for a lorry, and keep control of the whole process. For some units, particularly poultry and pig farms with steady daily mortality, an approved on-farm incinerator can be a legitimate part of the system. For many others, the approval conditions, running costs and legal limits mean it is not the simple fix it appears to be. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved business in Burscough, Lancashire, offering fallen stock and ABP collection across the North West and nationally for fallen stock, and we are regularly asked how the two options compare.
This guide sets out what the rules require, what an incinerator actually costs to run, which animals it cannot handle, and where licensed collection fits.
How a fallen stock incinerator on the farm is regulated
Open burning of fallen stock on farm, whether on a bonfire or in a pit, has been illegal since 2003, alongside the ban on burial. Our article on the ban on burying or burning fallen stock explains the background. What remains legal is burning animal by-products in a purpose-built incinerator that has been approved for that use. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
Small on-farm units are low capacity incinerators, which under the animal by-product rules means a throughput of under 50kg per hour. These must be approved by APHA before they are used for animal by-products. Larger plants fall into a different regime and generally need an environmental permit, which is not a realistic route for most farms, and most rely on a farm and fallen stock collection service instead. Approval of a low capacity unit is not a formality. APHA will look at the design and installation, the conditions under which it is operated, how ash is handled and what records are kept, and approved incinerators are subject to inspection afterwards.
Operating conditions, ash and record keeping
An approved incinerator has to be run the way its approval says. That generally means burning only the material it is approved for, loading within its rated capacity, reaching and maintaining the required combustion temperatures, and keeping the unit and its surroundings clean so it does not attract vermin or birds. Carcasses awaiting incineration still need to be stored securely and hygienically, exactly as they would before a collection.
Ash is a waste in its own right. It has to be stored so it cannot blow or wash away, and disposed of through an appropriate licensed route. Records are expected to show what was burned and when, the quantity, and what happened to the ash, and these need to be available for inspection. Emissions matter too. A poorly maintained unit producing smoke and odour near neighbouring houses can quickly draw complaints and the attention of the local authority, and planning or other permissions may be needed depending on the site.
Capital, fuel and maintenance costs
The purchase price is only the start. A low capacity incinerator burns fuel, usually oil or gas, every time it runs, and a wet or heavy carcass takes longer and uses more fuel than a dry one. Refractory linings wear and need replacing, burners and controls need servicing, and the unit needs to be sited on a suitable base with safe access for loading. Someone on the farm has to load it, run it, clean it out, deal with the ash and keep the records, and that labour is easy to underestimate during lambing, calving or a busy poultry crop. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
Capacity is the other practical limit. A unit sized for daily poultry or piglet mortality cannot realistically deal with an adult cow, a large sow or a horse. Most farms with an incinerator still need a licensed collector for bigger animals.
Cattle that cannot simply be incinerated on farm
Fallen cattle over 48 months must be BSE tested, and that sampling has to take place at an approved sampling site. An older cow therefore cannot just be put through an on-farm incinerator. It needs to go to a premises such as Martlands, which is a DEFRA approved processing and sampling facility. Our guide to BSE testing of fallen cattle covers that process in detail.
There are other situations where incineration on farm is not an option. If notifiable disease is suspected, the death must be reported to APHA immediately and nothing should be moved or disposed of until you have been told what to do. If a carcass needs a post-mortem examination to find out why it died, burning it first defeats the purpose. Adult cattle, sheep and goats containing specified risk material are Category 1, and our Category 1 ABP collection service handles them through the correct channel.
How licensed collection compares
Licensed collection removes the capital outlay, the fuel bill, the maintenance and the ash. Our collection service covers every species, with same-day collection available, and youngstock, pigs, poultry and horses are generally handled through our Category 2 ABP collection route. Each collection comes with a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Notice, giving you a complete paper trail without maintaining incinerator records of your own.
Martlands holds Waste Carrier Licence CB/QE5406MT, Site Licence EAWML/100236 and Animal By-Products Licence APB/CCN21/373/8002, and we are members of the National Fallen Stock Company. If you are not sure who NFSCO is, it is the scheme that links farmers with approved collectors across the country. Bookings are managed through the KoLeCt system.
When an incinerator might still make sense
There are farms where an approved incinerator earns its keep. Large poultry units with daily mortality, pig units dealing with piglets and weaners, and remote holdings where collection is genuinely difficult may find it worthwhile, provided they are prepared for the approval process, the running costs and the record keeping. Many of those farms still use licensed collection alongside it for cattle, large animals, disease investigations and any period when the incinerator is out of action.
Whichever route you choose, the duty of care is the same. Fallen stock must be dealt with without undue delay, and our standing advice is to arrange collection promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery.
Talk to us before you buy a fallen stock incinerator
If you are weighing up a fallen stock incinerator against collection, call Martlands on 01704 776977 and we will talk through what your farm produces and how collection would work for you. You can also reach the team through our contact us page.
