Some commercial poultry growers use mortality freezers and a rendering company’s pickup service to handle and dispose of their on-farm mortalities. However, this option will likely come to an end in September 2026. There are ongoing efforts to encourage and support new business entities that could potentially use on-farm mortalities as a resource, which would allow growers who have been using mortality freezers and a pickup service to continue to do so. However, until that comes to fruition, growers will have to find another way to dispose of their on-farm mortality.

To help poultry growers secure new mortality handling methods, the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) opened up a special source of funding under their Environmental Quality Incentives Program. This funding is available to growers who only had mortality freezers as their handling method. Under this special program (Conservation Practice Standard 316), animal mortality facilities—including incinerators, dehydrators, and composters (shed or drum type)—could all qualify for cost-share. Priority will be given to growers who can document that they must convert from mortality freezers to another method of disposal.

The deadline to sign up for this special offering is May 29, 2026. Interested growers should visit their local district conservation office to fill out an application. Applications submitted by the deadline will be evaluated for fiscal year 2026 funding. Visit al.nrcs.usda.gov, or visit your local NRCS office for more information.