DISPOSAL OF CARCASES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 7

DISPOSAL OF CARCASES

Pit Condemned Concern at the possibility of burial pits causing contaminaition of both household and town waiter supplies has been expressed by a MidCanterbury farmer in a letter to “The Prew.” Ths correnpondent said these pits not only had an unpleasant odour, but also attracted flies and rats. He made an urgent plea for farmers to change from this method of carcase disposal and said there was a need for a simple and efficient burner.

Now that ground water levels were extremely high there was a real possibility of contaminating the waiter supplies, he said| These pits were also the source of rats which have been very prevalent this winter. Poison and gas had only nominal success in controlling the rats on one farmer's property, but when the pit was flooded, by diverting a nearby stream, more than 70 rats had been shot.

“Having acquired the taste, rats find no difficulty in burrowing down four feet in the disturbed soil," the correspondent said. Last summer a neighbouring farmer had experienced repeated large outbreaks of fly strike in sheep Mid, after investigation, his pit was Ailed in. There was an immediate improvement. “Burying of MrfuasM is not the answer,” the correspondent said. When the letter was referred to Mr G. A. Thomson, the chief veterinary officer of the National Hydatids Council, he said the council definitely advocated complete destruction by burning in preference to burial. There were many efficient burners available on the market, ranging from very simple to very elaborate units. Not only could burial pits contaminate the water supplies. but buried carcases could lead to an increase in blood poisoning with these germs being in the ground for a long period. “In this country quite a lot of disease, such as tetanus and blackleg, has been built up because earcases have not been buried deep enough,” Mr Thomson said. This spread of disease had been particularly noticeable where carcases had been thrown Under gorse fences and the fences later removed. At this time of the year. When stock losses, because of lambing, were more prevalent, Mr Thomson urged extra precautions to be taken Careases Should be removed promptly and destroyed properly and dogs, especially at night, should be kept under full control.