Handling livestock losses in Schertz, Texas
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 Schertz and how to get a written price.
- Time limits you need to know
- Pickup points that protect your herd
- Keepsakes from halters to ear tags
Schertz, Texas
What handling a livestock loss in Schertz is like
South Texas heat means a large animal's body must be handled quickly, often within a few hours during summer. Owners with a senior horse or a sick cow often find it easier to settle on a plan in advance, so the calls aren't made in a rush. Your large-animal vet usually knows which removal and cremation services operate in this part of the county.
Schertz itself is suburban, but the Guadalupe County land around it still holds ranchland, horse properties and small farms, especially to the east toward Marion and Seguin. If your horses, goats or cattle live on acreage outside the city, say how far you are from I-35 or FM 78 and whether your gate and drive can take a heavy truck before anyone sets out.
If a renderer still runs a route past Schertz, it's usually the least work: call, leave the carcass on a pad near the road, and the truck winches it on. Ask how often they come through, what they charge per call and whether they take drug-euthanized animals, calves and small stock. Routes change with little notice, so recheck once a year rather than finding out the morning after a storm.
With roughly 45,978 residents, Schertz is the 82nd-largest of the 325 Texas communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is San Antonio, about 16 miles (26 km) away, which is where some providers serving Schertz are based.
Families in Schertz often end up using a provider from Universal City (1 miles), Cibolo (2 miles) and Converse (3 miles). That is normal: crematories serve a radius, not a single town, and the drive is priced into collection.
55.7%[1]
The NFDA projected Texas's cremation rate at 55.7% 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 Texas, and what they mean on the farm
A single figure like 55.7%[1] for Texas can hide real differences between town and farm country, where family plots and church cemeteries often still matter. Farm families bring that same instinct to their animals. Burying a favorite cow feels natural where the ground and the rules allow it; where they don't, a private cremation lets the family keep her close without needing a grave site at all.
The Texas figure comes from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). It describes people, not pets, so read it as a sign of local attitudes rather than a pet statistic.
Schertz weather and how fast you need to act
Heat waves and hard winters both cause losses on their own, and both make disposal harder at the same moment. Whatever the climate near Schertz, a short written plan, with who you'd call, where carcasses could go and what equipment you'd need, is the single most useful thing you can prepare.
Comparing the cost of each route in Schertz
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 Schertz 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.
The full price table by size is on our Texas page, and the services page explains what each option includes.
Free tool
Livestock mortality planner
Plan disposal capacity and costs for farm losses, from one animal to a herd.
Rules worth knowing in Texas
You don't need a permit to call a renderer or a crematory, but burial, composting and burning are where rules bite. In Texas, check depth, cover and setbacks from wells, creeks and property lines, plus any limit on how many animals can go in one site. Open burning of carcasses is illegal in most places. Counties, councils and water authorities can add their own conditions on top.
Not sure which office covers Schertz? The Texas local government directory is the official list.
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.
We keep Texas's burial and scattering rules in one place: the Texas rules summary. Before a home burial in Schertz, also ask the city whether local ordinances add anything.
A calm checklist for Schertz farms and families
- Stop and look before anyone moves the animal. If it died without warning, if more than one is down, or if you see a nosebleed or strange nervous-system signs, ring the vet before you touch anything. Samples for a lab could be needed.
- Move it away from water and the herd if you can do it safely, using a loader or winch. Keep it off creek banks and well clear of the well head.
- Cover it with a tarp weighted at the edges to keep birds, dogs and coyotes off, especially if the animal was euthanized with drugs.
- Decide whether anyone wants ashes back. If so, find a crematory able to take the weight and speak to them before booking any dead-stock collection.
- Choose the route: renderer, compost pile, burial, landfill or crematory, based on what's legal and available this week.
- Get the price in writing, with the mileage, the loader and any extra for a weekend call-out all shown.
- Keep a record of the date, animal ID and method, for your herd records or an insurance claim.
Keeping something of the animal you raised
Equine and livestock cremation providers serving greater San Antonio typically include the northeast suburbs in their area. Individual cremation of a horse is a substantial cost, and communal cremation offers a lower-priced alternative without the return of ashes. If you'd rather bury an animal on your own property, check with Guadalupe County first, since rules can depend on distance from wells and waterways.
the planning tools turn your pet's details into figures, Every option Schertz families choose between is on the services page, browse in-depth guides or recent articles, or compare your instinct with the poll results. You can also browse every city in the United States. Nearby, we also cover San Antonio, El Paso, Austin and Dallas, and every city in Texas.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
If a show steer, heifer or lamb your family raised died at home, what would you want?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Can you still get a renderer to pick up at your farm?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
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
Is cremation common in Texas?
For people, yes: about 55.7%[1] of Texas deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Schertz follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Schertz?
The closest communities we cover are Universal City (about 1 miles), Cibolo (about 2 miles) and Converse (about 3 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Schertz too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will I have to travel to San Antonio to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in San Antonio (roughly 16 miles from Schertz) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
How much does it cost to cremate a cow near Schertz?
There's little published data on cattle alone, but cremating a 1,000 lb horse was reported at about $600-$1,000[2], and a mature cow of similar size falls in the same range. Distance, fuel prices and loading equipment move the price most. Around Schertz, ask for a written total that includes pickup, and expect more for a heavy bull or dairy cow.
What actually happens to an animal at a rendering plant?
Rendering cooks carcass material at about 250 to 275°F for 2 to 3 hours in a batch[8], which destroys most pathogens and separates fat from protein. The products are used in things like industrial fats and some feeds. It's a useful, low-cost route for production losses, but nothing comes back to the owner, so it's not the right choice if anyone wants ashes. USDA's disposal methods handout explains it in more detail.
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.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] The NFDA projected Texas's cremation rate at 55.7% 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] The average value lost per dead cow or calf in 2015 was about $997. Our estimate: $3.87 billion / 3.88 million head. 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] In rendering, carcass material is cooked at 250-275 F, a batch process that normally takes 2-3 hours and destroys harmful pathogens. 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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