Goat, pig and alpaca aftercare in Regensburg, Bavaria
Whether it's a single backyard hen or a 180 lb alpaca, the questions are the same: is it legal to bury, who can collect, and can I have my own animal's ashes back? Here are the answers.
- Help for backyard flocks and pet pigs
- Heat, bloat and timing advice
- Options that keep your animal's ashes
Regensburg, Bavaria
What arranging farm animal cremation in Regensburg is like
Bavarian winters bring frozen ground and icy farm tracks, and spring can turn paddocks to mud, so collecting a horse or cow from a hillside field near Regensburg isn't always easy. Tell a provider about the terrain and how close a lorry can get. If you care for an older horse, a pony or animals on a small holding, it's worth finding out your options before the day arrives.
Outside Regensburg, the landscape quickly turns agricultural: farms with dairy and beef cattle, pigs and horses spread through the Upper Palatinate and along the Danube towards Straubing, with the Bavarian Forest to the east. Many families keep horses in livery yards or on small farms at the edge of the city. When a large animal dies, access, weather and the time of year all affect what's practical.
Regensburg sits in the middle ground for farm animal aftercare. There's usually at least one pet crematory in or near town, and often a mixed-practice vet who treats goats, sheep and pigs as well as dogs. Whether either can take your animal depends almost entirely on its weight. A pygmy goat or a few hens are easy; a full-size dairy goat, an alpaca or a mature pet pig may need a larger chamber, sometimes around Nuremberg or further out.
With roughly 153,000 residents, Regensburg is the 4th-largest of the 5 Bavaria communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Nuremberg, about 55 miles (89 km) away, which is where some providers serving Regensburg are based.
The closest communities we cover are Nuremberg (55 miles, a larger centre), Munich (65 miles, a larger centre) and Augsburg (71 miles). Providers serving those towns often travel to Regensburg too, so it can be worth asking them for a quote.
76.0%[1]
In 2023, 76.0% of deaths in Germany were cremated (164 crematoria).
$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.
None of the figures on this this page are ours alone: they rest on Embrace Pet Insurance and Extension Horses (eXtension national Cooperative Extension).
Burial, cremation and farm tradition in Germany
In Germany, about 76.0%[1] of people are cremated, one of the higher rates around. That doesn't make livestock rules any softer, but it does mean cremation is a normal conversation. Many hobby farmers here choose it for a named goat, alpaca or pet pig partly because it keeps the animal with them if they ever sell the land, and partly because it avoids digging a deep grave by machine.
Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023) is where the Germany figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Regensburg tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
When the weather sets the timetable in Regensburg
Local weather affects two things: how quickly your animal needs to be collected, and whether burying or scattering outdoors is practical. In cold months the ground may be frozen; in hot months speed matters more than anything. Your vet or provider in Regensburg will know the seasons, so ask what they'd do at this time of year.
Where the money goes: cremation, collection, urn
In several European countries the default route for a dead sheep, goat or pig is collection by the national rendering service. Near Regensburg that's usually the cheapest option, and nothing comes back. A pet crematorium is the alternative if you want the ashes; the prices in the table give a sense of the step up.
For a line-by-line price table, see the Bavaria overview; for what's included in each option, see our services.
Free tool
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
What Bavaria allows for goats, sheep, pigs and poultry
A rough rule holds almost everywhere: the bigger the animal, the more the law cares where it ends up. A hen or duck is treated much like any small pet. A 150 lb ewe or a pig brings setbacks from wells, depth requirements and sometimes an outright ban. Here's what Bavaria says about pets in general; expect a large farm species to be held to a higher standard.
In Germany, dead farm animals such as sheep, goats and pigs normally go to a Tierkörperbeseitigungsanstalt (animal carcass disposal plant), and keepers registered with their state's Tierseuchenkasse often have part of the cost covered. Home burial rules for pets don't usually extend to farm species. Some Tierkrematorien accept goats and pigs for individual cremation (Einzeleinäscherung); ask about weight limits.
What to do when a farm animal dies in Regensburg
- Cover the body loosely and move it into shade or a cool outbuilding if you can do so safely.
- Let the herd or flock settle. One keeper will give a close companion a little time beside the body; another takes it away at once. Neither is wrong.
- Talk to your vet about the cause of death, any reporting duty and, for sheep and goats, whether testing is offered.
- Compare two providers if you can. For farm animals, quotes differ far more on weight caps and pickup fees than on the cremation itself.
- Confirm whether it's private, partitioned or communal, in writing. The names are easy to mix up.
- Choose what the ashes come home in. A hen needs only a small container; a goat or sheep needs a full-size urn or scatter tube.
Ways to remember a farm companion
In Germany, farm livestock that die are normally collected through the regulated animal by-products system, and owners usually have little choice about that route. Horses are a partial exception, as more owners now ask about cremation, although it's specialised and may involve travel. Ask any provider in the Regensburg area what's possible for your animal, whether ashes can be returned and how collection from a farm or stable works.
try the free planning tools, or see how other readers answered in our polls, read our guides and latest articles, Our services overview lays out every option side by side. Close to Regensburg we also cover Nuremberg, Starnberg, Augsburg and Munich; the full list for Bavaria and for Germany is a click away.
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.
Before today, did you know the burial rules for farm species where you live?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Would you want your animal's own ashes returned?
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
Cremation cost calculator
Estimate a realistic price range for your pet's size, location and the type of cremation.
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.
Questions people ask
Is cremation common in Germany?
For people, yes: about 76.0%[1] of Germany deaths end in cremation, according to Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023 (2023). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Regensburg follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Where are the providers that serve Regensburg actually based?
Some are local, and some run from Nuremberg, about 55 miles away. That is normal for a city this size. What matters is the collection time they quote for Regensburg and whether the drive is priced into the total, so ask both up front.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Regensburg?
The closest communities we cover are Nuremberg (about 55 miles), Munich (about 65 miles) and Augsburg (about 71 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Regensburg too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
How much ash will I get back from a goat, sheep or hen?
Cremated remains are about 3-5% of body weight[3]. A 70 lb pygmy goat returns roughly two to three and a half pounds of ash; a 160 lb alpaca returns five to eight. A hen returns only a spoonful or two, so ask for a small container rather than a standard urn. The urn size calculator on our tools page can help.
Can someone collect a dead goat or pig from a farm near Regensburg?
Yes, most crematories that take farm species offer farm collection, usually with a charge for mileage beyond a base radius. Tell them the weight, how close a vehicle can get and whether there's mud, a slope or gates. Larger animals need a winch or tail-lift, so ask what the crew brings and whether you'll need to help lift.
Is it worth cremating a single backyard hen?
If she mattered to you, yes. A hen is the least expensive farm animal to cremate, falling in the smallest pet price band, and communal cremation costs less again. What comes back is tiny, only a few tablespoons of ash, so ask for a small keepsake box or scatter the ashes around the run. Some keepers save a few feathers instead of, or as well as, the ashes.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] In 2023, 76.0% of deaths in Germany were cremated (164 crematoria). Cremation Society of Great Britain, International Cremation Statistics 2023, 2023.
- [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] Composting a 1,400 lb dairy cow would need roughly 14-16.8 cubic yards of cover material. Our estimate: 1.4 x (10 to 12 cu yd per 1,000 lb). How we calculate.
Tell us about your goat, sheep, pig or bird
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.