Checklist for Safe Disposal 

of Dead Birds

It’s an inevitable but unfortunate reality: you will deal with deaths in your flock. The best way to 

dispose of the birds depends on the size of your flock, the type of poultry you raise, and where 

you are located. You need to know what’s allowed in your area (rules vary by State) and how to 

handle disposal safely. This is a key part of good biosecurity. By planning ahead and using the 

right methods, you can lower the risk of bringing new germs or diseases onto your property 

and protect your flock from more losses.

If you see or suspect anything unusual, call your flock supervisor, veterinarian, or cooperative 

extension office right away. Use this form to record phone numbers for contacts in your area. 

The earlier you act, the easier it is to contain the disease to a single flock.

Check the list on the back for tips 

to help keep your flocks healthy. √

Report Sick or Dead Birds

If you see large numbers of dead or dying birds in your Phone Number

flock or other signs of illness, take action right away!

Veterinarian 

Cooperative Extension Office 

State Veterinarian/Animal or Poultry Diagnostic Lab

USDA 866.536.7593

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Checklist: Tips for Safe Disposal 

of Dead Birds

This checklist is a general guide to practicing good biosecurity, but if you have a site-specific 

biosecurity plan, please follow it. Commercial growers should be sure their site-specific plans 

follow the National Poultry Improvement Plan biosecurity principles.

√

Plan ahead! Include procedures for carcass 

disposal in your biosecurity plan. You’ll need 

routine procedures for all dead birds using 

normal mortality numbers, along with a 

contingency plan for a large number of deaths.

Make sure your procedures cover these 

basics: 

• Disposal methods follow all local, State, and

Federal laws. 

• If using a pickup service, describe how the

dead birds are moved to the pickup location 

and show that the vehicles/equipment at the 

pickup location never cross the perimeter 

buffer area.

• Draw carcass movements on the site map, 

or explain them in some other clear way.

Collect all bird carcasses as soon as 

possible, at least once every day.

Store or dispose of carcasses in a way that does 

not attract wild birds, rodents, insects, or other 

animals. Collection bins should have tight-fitting lids, 

and burial pits or compost piles should be covered 

adequately to deter burrowing scavengers. 

Avoid cross contamination from equipment and 

vehicles. Clean and disinfect them before and after 

leaving the farm. Don’t use the same equipment and 

vehicles for feeding chores, manure and carcass 

handling, and animal handling, unless you clean and 

disinfect them before using for a different task.

Visit disposal sites at the end of the day to avoid 

carrying contaminants from farm to farm.

Disposal methods 

Disposal methods may include composting, 

incineration, burial, or rendering. For most sites 

and flocks of all sizes, onsite disposal is more 

biosecure than taking carcasses offsite.

For more information about how to keep your flocks healthy, follow Defend the Flock on 

Facebook and Twitter and visit www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock.

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 2235-11 | Issued October 2019 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.