When a farm animal dies in Conway: your options
Whether it's a feedlot loss, a ewe in lambing season or a 4-H steer your family raised, this page explains the realistic options in Conway and how to get a written price.
- Honest options for city and farm readers
- Ashes returned for 4-H and FFA animals
- Local options sent to you by email
Conway, Arkansas
Livestock losses around Conway: who's affected and how
Plenty of Conway-area families keep a few animals on acreage while holding jobs in town, and a horse, a pair of donkeys or a small herd of goats can be part of the household for many years. When one dies, the loss is often shared across generations. Private cremation of a large animal is costly, so ask about a partial return of ashes or a keepsake such as a lock of mane or tail.
August heat around 93°F in Conway means a large animal's body can't wait long, and a death on a weekend is harder to handle. If you keep horses or livestock, it helps to have a plan ready: which option you'd choose, a written estimate, and a route a heavy truck could use. River bottomland near the Arkansas can stay wet for weeks, which rules out burial on some properties.
Newcomers who buy a few acres near Conway often start with goats, a handful of hens or a pair of weaner pigs, and the first death catches them off guard. Unlike a dog, a grown ewe or pig won't fit on the back seat, the town may have no pet crematory, and the rules for farm species can differ from those for pets. Ask a neighbor or the feed store who they call, and write your plan down before next spring's kids or lambs arrive.
With roughly 72,328 residents, Conway is the 7th-largest of the 26 Arkansas communities we cover. Little Rock, roughly 25 miles off, is the closest larger centre, and a share of the providers who cover Conway run from there.
Conway sits within easy reach of Maumelle (17 miles), Sherwood (21 miles) and Jacksonville (23 miles). A provider based in any of them will usually collect from Conway; ask what the mileage adds to the bill.
52.2%[1]
The NFDA projected Arkansas's cremation rate at 52.2% for 2024.
$600-$1,000[2]
Cremating a 1,000-pound horse was reported to cost about $600-$1,000, depending on location and the price of propane.
3-5% of body weight[3]
Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight.
Sources for the statistics above: Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) and Embrace Pet Insurance.
Cremation habits in Arkansas, and what they mean on the farm
About 52.2%[1] of people in Arkansas are cremated, a figure that has been climbing for years while burial still has deep roots. You'll see both traditions on farms too. Some families bury a favorite cow at the edge of the pasture where she grazed; others choose cremation so the ashes can move with them. For production animals, the choice usually comes down to cost, soil and what the renderer will take.
Source for the Arkansas number: NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes a pet cremation rate for Conway, so the human figure is the best local signal available.
Planning around the Conway calendar
Around Conway, the calendar sets the pace: in August you have hours to act, and in January, February and December you may have days but no diggable ground. Many producers here keep two routes on file for that reason, a summer collector and a compost pile or a winter-accessible renderer for the cold months. Show families can plan the same way, booking a crematory pickup quickly in summer and allowing for snow delays in winter.
Conway gets both extremes: summer highs around 93°F in August and freezing lows in January, February and December. In summer, speed matters, since a carcass bloats and draws scavengers within hours. In winter you have more time, but frozen ground can make burial impossible and snow can block a renderer's truck. A year-round plan needs both a hot-weather and a cold-weather route.
Per-head prices for Conway producers and families
There's little published cost data for cattle alone, so the best benchmarks come from extension studies of 1,000 to 1,200 lb horses, which are the closest match to a mature cow or steer. A rendering pickup was quoted at about $75-$200[4], and cremating a 1,000 lb animal at about $600-$1,000[2]. Prices in Conway will turn on distance, fuel, the animal's weight and whether you want the ashes back. Treat the figures as a floor, since they aren't inflation-adjusted.
We keep the detailed Arkansas price table on one page so it stays current: see Arkansas prices.
Free tool
Livestock mortality planner
Plan disposal capacity and costs for farm losses, from one animal to a herd.
Before you dig or build a pile in Arkansas
Before you dig a pit or start a compost pile, check what Arkansas allows for your species. Some places ban composting of cattle, sheep and goats, others ban on-farm burial altogether, and most set a deadline measured in hours. A sudden death in several animals, or signs of a reportable disease, changes everything: the vet and animal health officials decide the method.
To find your county or city office in Arkansas, start with the official Arkansas local government directory.
In the US, dead-stock rules are set state by state, usually by the agriculture department or board of animal health. Most states expect disposal within 24-72 hours[6], and only about 50%[7] of states still have a rendering plant. Where no truck comes, composting and burial fill the gap, but not every state allows both for every species. Your county extension office is the quickest way to find out what applies on your land.
For Arkansas's rules on burying a pet at home or scattering ashes, see the Arkansas guide. Local rules in Conway can be stricter than the state's, especially in homeowners' associations and rentals.
The first day after a loss, in order
- If the death was planned, agree the euthanasia time with the vet and book collection straight afterwards.
- Tell the provider how the animal will be put down. Some renderers won't take drug-euthanized animals; a crematory or compost pile may be needed instead.
- Let the family say goodbye, above all any child who fed, raised or showed it. Those few quiet minutes in the barn stay with people.
- Have equipment ready: a tractor with a loader, straps or a skid steer, and a clear path to the trailer.
- Decide on private or communal cremation if cremating, and ask for written confirmation of which it is.
- Plan where the ashes will go. A big animal leaves a great deal, and it's common to divide them: an urn, a few keepsakes, some on the pasture.
Remembering a show or family animal
Faulkner County is still partly farm country, with cattle pasture, hay meadows and horse properties just outside Conway toward Greenbrier, Mount Vernon and the Arkansas River bottoms. For a horse, cow, goat or other large animal, aftercare starts with practical details: the animal's weight, how close a truck can get, and whether the ground is soft. Give those details when you ask for options so providers can answer honestly.
or compare your instinct with the poll results, The services page is the place to compare what is included, use the free tools before you ring anyone, look through our guides and the blog. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Rogers and Fort Smith, and every city in Arkansas.
Reader polls
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Free tools to help you plan
Livestock mortality planner
Plan disposal capacity and costs for farm losses, from one animal to a herd.
Urn size calculator
Find the urn volume you need from your pet's weight, plus keepsake and sharing options.
Horse aftercare cost comparison
Compare equine cremation, burial, rendering and composting side by side.
Questions people ask
Does the Conway climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In August, with highs near 93°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. In January, February and December, when lows sit below freezing, a home burial may have to wait for a thaw, so cremation with ashes returned keeps your options open.
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Conway?
Usually yes. Maumelle is about 17 miles away, Sherwood is about 21 miles away and Jacksonville is about 23 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Where are the providers that serve Conway actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Little Rock, about 25 miles away. That is normal for a town this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Conway and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Why does the Conway page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 52.2%[1] of Arkansas residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
Do burial rules apply to one show animal the same as a herd?
Generally yes. Depth, cover and setbacks from wells and water apply to each burial site whether the animal was a pet or production stock. Density limits, like caps on animals per acre, matter more for larger losses. If you want something more personal than a pit, a private cremation avoids site rules and lets the ashes stay with the family.
Is composting a dead cow really practical?
Yes, with enough material and patience. Cattle need cover such as wood chips, sawdust or old bedding, at about 10-12 cu yd per 1,000 lb[8] of carcass, and the pile should reach 135-140 F[9]. The second phase for a mature cow runs about 240 days[10]. It works well once you've done it, but check your state first: some places don't allow composting of cattle, sheep and goats.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Arkansas's cremation rate at 52.2% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [2] Cremating a 1,000-pound horse was reported to cost about $600-$1,000, depending on location and the price of propane. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [3] Embrace notes cremated remains typically weigh about 3-5% of the pet's original body weight. Embrace Pet Insurance - Bury or Cremate Your Dog? Costs, Pros & Cons, 2025.
- [4] Rendering companies typically charge a pickup fee of $75-$200 to remove a horse carcass, depending on location. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [5] About 10,630 U.S. cattle and calves died every day in 2015. Our estimate: 3,880,000 / 365. How we calculate.
- [6] State rules commonly require dead animals to be buried within 24 to 72 hours of death, especially when euthanized. Cornell Waste Management Institute & Penn State - Horse Mortality: Carcass Disposal Alternatives (2012), 2012.
- [7] Only about 50% of U.S. states have rendering plants, most of them concentrated in the Midwest. Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension) - Horse Disposal Options, 2019, 2019.
- [8] Bovine composting may require 10-12 cubic yards of cover material per 1,000 lb of carcass. USDA APHIS / Center for Food Security and Public Health (Iowa State) - Disposal: Composting, Rendering & Burial handout, based on NAHEMS Disposal Guidelines (2012), 2012.
- [9] A carcass compost pile should reach 135-140 F within 15 days and be held at temperature for 3-12 weeks. USDA APHIS / Center for Food Security and Public Health (Iowa State) - Disposal: Composting, Rendering & Burial handout, based on NAHEMS Disposal Guidelines (2012), 2012.
- [10] The second composting phase takes about 10 days for chickens but approximately 240 days for mature cows and horses. USDA APHIS / Center for Food Security and Public Health (Iowa State) - Disposal: Composting, Rendering & Burial handout, based on NAHEMS Disposal Guidelines (2012), 2012.
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