One of the most important – and frequently underappreciated – functions of professional fallen stock collection is its contribution to disease prevention and biosecurity on farms. Martland’s Fallen Stock plays a direct role in reducing disease risk for farming businesses across the UK by ensuring that carcasses are removed promptly, transported safely, and processed through the approved system. Understanding the connection between carcass management and disease control helps to reframe fallen stock collection not as an administrative burden but as a fundamental element of good farm biosecurity practice.
How Carcasses Spread Disease
A dead animal begins to decompose almost immediately, and during this process, the pathogens present in the body – including bacteria, viruses, and in some cases prions – can spread into the surrounding environment. Fluids seeping from a carcass can contaminate soil, reach watercourses, and create a reservoir of infection that persists long after the carcass itself has been removed. Flies, rodents, foxes, and crows attracted to a carcass can carry pathogens further afield, potentially reaching other areas of the farm or neighbouring holdings.
The diseases that can be spread through inadequate fallen stock management include some of the most serious threats in UK agriculture. Anthrax, while rare, can persist in soil for decades. Foot and mouth disease virus can survive in the environment and spread rapidly between holdings. Clostridial bacteria can persist in soil contaminated by a decomposing carcass and continue to pose a risk to subsequent animals grazing on that land. This is why prompt collection by Martland’s Fallen Stock is so important.
The Importance of Prompt Collection
The single most effective disease prevention measure associated with fallen stock management is prompt collection. Martland’s Fallen Stock provides a reliable, timely collection that minimises the period during which a carcass remains on the farm and therefore minimises the window of disease transmission risk.
Establishing a clear protocol for fallen stock events on your holding, which includes notifying Martland’s Fallen Stock Collection Service as soon as a death is discovered, is the most direct way to reduce disease risk. In practice, this means having Martland’s Fallen Stock contact details readily accessible wherever you are most likely to be when you discover a fallen animal. Many farmers keep the number saved in their mobile phones and posted on boards in key farm buildings.
Temporary Storage and Biosecurity
While awaiting collection by Martland’s Fallen Stock, careful temporary storage is essential. A carcass placed on a hard, impermeable surface – such as a concrete yard – is considerably less likely to contaminate the surrounding environment than one left in a field or on earthen ground. The surface prevents fluids from seeping into the soil, contains any material that might otherwise attract vermin, and makes the area easier to disinfect after the Martland’s Fallen Stock vehicle has made the collection.
After the collection has taken place, the storage area should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected to remove any residual contamination. Even after a carcass has been collected, the area where it was stored may harbour pathogens that could pose a risk to animals subsequently entering that area.
A Whole-Farm Biosecurity Approach
Effective fallen stock management with Martland’s Fallen Stock sits within a wider whole-farm biosecurity strategy that includes vaccination programmes, visitor controls, vehicle disinfection, and regular stock health monitoring. No single biosecurity measure operates in isolation, and the contribution of prompt collection by Martland’s Fallen Stock is most valuable when it is part of a comprehensive and consistently applied approach to farm health management.
Farming businesses that treat fallen stock collection with Martland’s Fallen Stock as a routine, well-managed part of their operations are better positioned to maintain the health of their livestock, protect their productivity, and demonstrate the standards of husbandry and compliance that are increasingly expected by assurance schemes, supply chain customers, and regulatory bodies alike.
Here are some of the other regional areas we cover. Click a link below to find out more:
Lancashire Fallen Stock Collection Service
Greater Manchester Fallen Stock Collection Service
Merseyside Fallen Stock Collection Service
Wirral Fallen Stock Collection Service
North Wales Fallen Stock Collection Service
Cheshire Fallen Stock Collection Service
