The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: fiestyredhead331 on December 07, 2013, 11:20:36 pm
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-24651289 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-24651289)
http://www.hebrides-news.com/alleged_illegal_slaughter_house_51213.html (http://www.hebrides-news.com/alleged_illegal_slaughter_house_51213.html)
the 2nd link gives more detail
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Crikey thats a lot of mutton to be eating......:-)
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the shear brass neck is brilliant and hilarious, was reading report of court proceedings in Cathness paper and the amount claimed as weekly self consumption were boggling. cannot decide whether i am rooting for him or not. This whole business has come about as a consequence of the changes in meat slaughter rules a few years back, it was traditional in very remote places like the outer isles to sell excess sheep to neighbours and to slaughter and dress yourself for own and family and friends consumption. now to be legal they have to jump through hoops traveling twice to and from stornaway paying more than is reasonable, acts that destroy a long tradition of self sufficiency. this someting i have great sympathy for, if i want to slaughter my own animals to eat have drive them almost 70 miles to dingwall, to their distress and my great cost, and return again for the meat. its a diabolical situation and needs sorting. in new zealand there are mobile slaughtermen who come out to you and do the deed, something to be said for that.
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You can slaughter and butcher lambs legally for you and members of your family living at home acc to the food standards agency, but you can't do it for anyone else (sell or give away) nor have anyone else come in to kill or to butcher, and the specified parts have to be removed and disposed of properly which means the fallen stock people collecting it.
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I heard the abbatoir in Stornoway will be opening soon so I can understand the issues about transporting a few animals here and there over to the mainland, we have to transport ours to Dingwall (70+ miles) but the guy who took his 8 for slaughter to this guy must be right pee'd off as they are now held as evidence and he admitted that he was paying £13 per animal for slaughter so it does sound like this was a regular thing. The other issue is the fallen stock issue as we have a special dispensation to dispose of our carcasses as we are so far away so I imagine it could well be the same on the Islands but the regulations are so rigorous regarding waste by-product that I even had a battle to get the horns back of one of mine