Hi guys, We have quite a few hens here, around 200 birds and mainly ex-batts. About a quarter are reaching a ripe old age (some are 6 years +) and inevitably starting to die. We were taking they one by one as and when to the knackers yard, some 15 miles away, but its a tedious and excessive task, especially when we turn up with one measly hen. The government guidelines state:
"Category 2 material must be disposed of by:
direct incineration or
rendering or other authorised treatment process - followed by incineration, landfill, composting or biogas treatment"
But what exactly is 'rendering'? Im thinking if we made a specific compost area for the birds (probably a darlik style garden composter or wooden compost unit) away from crops, veggies and other animals it would save a lot of time and energy. Of course, if we suspected a hen dying of sickness we'd still take this to the incinerator unit.
What do others do and have you ever come across composting them?