An interesting piece from the BBC Future Planet section on the importance of death in a natural environment

[holwellcourtfarm]

I wasn’t aware you had laws preventing their control. You have laws preventing killing them.

In fact, your laws requiring no deadstock kept on site is a control for them. Even if that’s not it’s intended purpose.

More than one way to skin a cat.

It’s a romantic idea on a permaculture level to let dead things stay where they fall and reap their benefits. I’m not sure if you were allowed to practice that it would live up to expectations though. Farmers would be required to manage the carcasses and deal with the ripples they cause.

There are a number of species here which are highly protected. It is an offence to do all manner of things affecting them including "disturbing" them and damaging their habitat.

 

[egbert]

I am sure I have read that when you get a dead animal in a stream, if you go downstream of the animal by 10' the water is clean again!

water falling over stones does the trick I thought....although 2-3 dead blackies bobbing about for a month in a dam that waters tens of thousands......hmm. I'll stick to my spring.

 

[egbert]

Livestock carcasses left about would only lead to complaints by ramblers and the general public.
Remember topping rushes on a rather untidy farm and finding a dead cow with topper

couldn't have been me...never paid anyone to top the rushes

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I wasn’t aware you had laws preventing their control. You have laws preventing killing them.

In fact, your laws requiring no deadstock kept on site is a control for them. Even if that’s not it’s intended purpose.

More than one way to skin a cat.

It’s a romantic idea on a permaculture level to let dead things stay where they fall and reap their benefits. I’m not sure if you were allowed to practice that it would live up to expectations though. Farmers would be required to manage the carcasses and deal with the ripples they cause.

Food supply is certainly not a limiting factor for badgers.

But I do agree leaving unlimited dead stock around could quite easily turn into more negative than positive.