Ky. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 257
Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 257.160 (2026)

Disposition of carcasses -- How and when made

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1) All carcasses of domestic livestock, poultry, and fish which have died or which have been destroyed on account of any disease, except as determined and permitted by the state veterinarian or other representative of the board, shall be disposed of by:

(a) Complete incineration of the entire carcass and all of its parts and products;

(b) Boiling the carcass and all of its parts and products in water or heating it with steam at a temperature above boiling, continuously for two (2) hours or more;

(c) Burying the carcass and all of its parts and products in the earth at a point which is never covered with the overflow of ponds or streams and which is not less than one hundred (100) feet distant from any watercourse, sinkhole, well, spring, public highway, residence, or stable. The carcass shall be placed in an opening in the earth at least four (4) feet deep, the abdominal and thoracic cavities opened wide their entire length with a sharp instrument, and the entire carcass covered with two (2) inches of quicklime and at least three

(3) feet of earth.

(d) Removal of the carcass by a duly-licensed rendering establishment;

(e) Deposition of the carcass in a contained landfill approved pursuant to KRS Chapter 224;

(f) Composting of the carcass in a facility according to the board's administrative regulations and approved in accordance with KRS Chapter 224;

(g) Any combination of the methods set forth in paragraphs (a) to (f) of this subsection; or

(h) Any other scientifically-proven method of disposal approved by the board.

(2) The owner shall dispose of the carcass of domestic livestock, poultry, and fish as provided in subsection (1) of this section, within forty-eight (48) hours after the carcass is found unless the carcass is otherwise preserved in cold storage.

(3) The board is authorized to promulgate administrative regulations to implement this section. Effective: June 25, 2009 History: Amended 2009 Ky. Acts ch. 22, sec. 14, effective June 25, 2009. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 58, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 188, sec. 233, effective July 15, 1980. -- Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 63c-8.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 2 cases, 1943–1948 · leading case: Dalzell v. McClintock, 171 S.W.2d 467 (Ky. Ct. App. 1943).
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Dalzell v. McClintock, 171 S.W.2d 467 (Ky. Ct. App. 1943). · cites it 3× “The petition as amended averred that the hogs died from cholera or some other “communicable disease” as the result of the alleged negligence of appellee in failing to comply with KRS 257.160 in disposing of the carcasses of diseased hogs dying on his premises, from which…”
Commonwealth v. Wiman, 215 S.W.2d 283 (Ky. Ct. App. 1948). “See KRS 257.160 et seq. Similar law also provides fines ranging from $100-to $1,000 or prison sentences up to six months or both fines and prison sentences for pollution of a stream to the detriment of fish therein.”
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