Here in montana the road dept was having issues with what do to with all
the road kill(more deer are killed by cars times two than by hunters) So they
started composting the dead animals. The bodies are put on top of two feet
of saw dust and covered with two to three feet of the same. The pile is
kept moist and after the pile reaches a certain temp it is turn with big
machine. In 9 months there is nothing left but great compost. Of course
they have a significant fence around the pile. In one area of the state,
because the grizzlies were coming down to the ranches, drawn in by dead
carcasses (on big ranches there is generally a "bone yard" where all dead
livestock are put) the fish and game got together with the ranchers,
and the road department enlarged the composting area to accomodate the
ranchers livestock. A fellow in our valley composted his
horse....didn't turn the pile because he didn't have the machinery but in 11
months there weren't even bones left and he claims there was never a bad
odor. He used the compost on his pastures and flower bed. There are
several articles about the above in a magazine called Rocky Mountain Rider out
of Hamilton Montana
