I don't recall seeing a post on this and it's something that's likely to happen.
Here's the scenario in a shtf times.
One of your animals died, you need to dispose of the body as you don't want to draw predators in.
For the sake of argument let's say a smaller animal. IE: ducks, chickens or even a pet dog/cat.
It's winter with freezing and thawing, a few feet of snow on the ground and ground still frozen solid.
You have no way to compost the body and no way to dig a hole to bury it.
No one to call to help with machinery to dig a hole.
Firewood is limited and you need to use what's left to keep warm. No way to get more cause its all covered in snow and ice. You also don't want to attract human attention with a big bonfire.
How would you handle this?
A sense of humor is absolutely essential to survival.
I would use it to attract predators.....they are a food source too.
GM1
Chance favours the prepared mind
Ha, Glockman , that's good!
I was going to say there's only upwards from there, if you're not going to eat it yourself.
You could rope-hoist it up the roof or tree to where the crows/hawks/owls will come , if the bears are in hibernation?
Is there a trick answer?
Well lets see if its a smaller critter, duck, chicken etc, I saw, pull the feathers for garden use down the road, as you will not have access to the garden center.. If you have a dog or pig and a good solid understanding of butcher, you should be able to grasp if the meat is useable or not and if its fresh dead, use it as dog or pig food.
If its a cat, and you don't want to just hike away from the homestead and put it out under a brush pile somewhere, then I would recommend wrapping it in old cloth or straw bedding etc and putting it into a metal bucket with tight fitting lid and putting it into a deep snow drift and shoveling over it to keep it frozen, then when you can dig, bury it.. the old cloth is so you can just left it out whole wrapped and into the ground.
However there is one other choice that I want to throw out there, if you are set up with a red wigger worm bin or bins, and I hope you are, for the protein source for your chickens, etc, then that is another choice, while they say now in worm composting, don't put your meat scraps in it etc.. that's the ideally, not only choice..
you would have to keep it well covered to reduce smells etc, and certainly it does take worms a lot longer to eat meat then it does newpaper or veggies, but they can do it if given time.
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Cremate? (Burn) it?
Seems like a viable option in my opinion. SHouldnt mess with your firewood too much.
Throw it off the edge of a cliff, or better yet, a local pond. Tie a big rock to its leg and throw it in the water. There will be many more, and bigger fish the next season.
Thanks for your replies folks.
I will be hatching chicks for a couple that I kinda nudged into starting to preparing for themselves.
She got kinda quiet and said 'what do you do if one dies?'
I could see she was rather uncomfortable asking or could be the subject.
Told them what I do under the circumstances (according to the info in OP) and that was to put body into a pail, toss in some coop cleanings on top, then seal with tight light. Put pail into snow bank and cover with snow until you can dig to bury.
I will print this thread out and give to her hubby. He can decide if he wants to give it to her.
Some posts may not be something she can handle.
Hey, we all got to start somewhere! I sure don't want to discourage her/them right off the bat with something that she might not be able to handle.
They have taken the first step of getting land and when spring comes (if ever) they will be making a garden and starting on getting fire wood together.
BTW, that's why I said no compost pile.
I am sure they will get one going later.
OTG
A sense of humor is absolutely essential to survival.