Each year at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, we get the chance to talk with innovators who are helping solve some of the most persistent challenges in the poultry industry. This year, we spoke with Colton Johnson of APEX Predator Mortality Disposal to take a deeper look at mortality dehydrators.
Last year, we shared a video overview of mortality management options—incineration, composting, sheds and even dehydrators—though at the time, we didn’t know much about dehydrators. Fast forward to today, and dehydrators are here, they’re running and they’re changing the way growers approach mortality handling.
A Dehydrator Company Built by Poultry People
APEX was founded by three partners, all with deep roots in the poultry industry: one is a third-generation poultry supply shop operator, one has built poultry complexes and one has operated chicken houses himself.
All three partners are based in a small town in East Texas, where the entire APEX Predator line is owned, operated and manufactured. They’ve experienced firsthand the industry’s biggest operational challenges and none were bigger than mortality management.
And that’s why they set out to build a better solution.
Dehydration vs. Incineration & Composting
We’ve been conditioned to believe that mortality management must be labor-intensive, high-cost, smelly or all of the above. Dehydrators challenge that thinking.
Here are the biggest differences:
1. Faster & Easier Than Composting
Unlike in-vessel composters, dehydration:
-
Requires no amendments
-
Requires no turning or manual interference
-
Involves a simple workflow: load birds → close door → press button → walk away
The machine completes the cycle automatically, shutting down and unloading itself when finished.
2. Cheaper & Lower Maintenance Than Incineration
Incinerators are notoriously expensive to run due to propane and natural gas prices, and the equipment often burns itself out over time.
Dehydrators, on the other hand:
-
Are fully electric
-
Use minimal power
-
Run at lower temperatures, which extends the life of internal parts
-
Often last 20+ years
And unlike incineration, there’s no smoke, no odor and no environmental pushback.
What Makes APEX's System Different
Several manufacturers have entered the dehydration market, but Colton described three factors that set the APEX Predator apart:
1. Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics
APEX can operate and diagnose the unit from their office in Texas, as if they were standing onsite. This means faster troubleshooting, fewer service calls and no wasted farm time.
2. Faster Processing Speeds
Their patent-pending heat and airflow regulation allows them to process 100 pounds per hour or better, while using less power. Their largest unit holds 2,000 pounds and completes a full load in 20 hours, which he explained is a significant savings in utility usage versus competitors.
3. Built for Industrial, Long-Term Farm Use
Every APEX Predator dehydrator is engineered for durability and includes:
-
Hot-dip galvanized skids and components
-
U.S.-sourced gearboxes, motors and UL-listed electrical components
-
Industrial-grade construction throughout
What’s Left After Dehydration
The finished material looks a lot like fine sand: lightweight, dry and easy to handle. It carries no odor, even when stored. This valuable byproduct is high in protein, approximately 10% nitrogen and low in phosphorus and potassium.
Growers commonly spread it on fields as a nutrient source, but the long-term value may lie even more in its potential as a protein ingredient. The market is still developing, but it’s a space to keep an eye on.
The Biosecurity Advantage
When we talk about poultry disease risk, especially avian influenza, mortality is one of the most overlooked transmission points. Dehydration offers two major biosecurity benefits:
1. Complete Pathogen Elimination
The dehydration process heats the material long enough to make it pathogen-free and bacteria-free. That reduces risk right at the source.
2. Elimination of Scavengers
This is the game changer. Buzzards, flies and other scavengers are some of the largest natural spreaders of avian influenza and other diseases. Traditional mortality disposal, especially in open areas, attracts them.
With a dehydrator, there is no smell, no exposed carcass and no incentive for scavengers to visit. A farm using a dehydrator becomes a “dead end” for disease vectors instead of a hotspot.
The Bottom Line
Mortality is a reality in poultry farming, but it doesn’t have to be a daily headache or a weak point in your biosecurity program. Dehydrators provide easy operation, lower costs, cleaner byproducts, reduced disease pressure and stronger farm biosecurity.
Technology like this is pushing the industry forward, and it was encouraging to see it firsthand at the Sunbelt Ag Expo. As more growers adopt dehydration, we expect it to become a central part of mortality management for modern poultry operations.
If you’re evaluating your biosecurity plan (or just tired of the smell, flies and cost of other systems!), it may be time to give dehydration a serious look.
Get in Touch
If you’re interested in learning more about the APEX Predator models, reach out to Colton at 936-332-9762 or colton@apexmortality.com.
And as always, if you have any questions for us, reach out to me at allen@southlandorganics.com.
