The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Dandy on December 05, 2017, 12:43:00 am

Title: Slaughterman & Butchery needed
Post by: Dandy on December 05, 2017, 12:43:00 am
I have reared some lambs solely for my family's consumption. Is it acceptable to obtain a slaughterman to visit a smallholding to deal with some lambs, then get the carcass butchered?  The local butcher tells me he can butcher them for me, provided I take them to the local abattoir - which is 20 miles away.  That's hardly local as I see it. The former approach seems to me to be the most humane and more practical for the smallholder, reducing stress on the animal to an absolute minimum because no transport is required and they are never in an unfamiliar environment.  Is this permitted and how might I go about finding someone?   I currently have no suitable transport of my own.   Many years ago I remember a slaughterman could visit, take away the carcasses and the butchered meat could be collected later.
Title: Re: Slaughterman & Butchery needed
Post by: Anke on December 07, 2017, 09:51:00 am

Twenty miles not local?


Some of us have a 150mile round trip to the nearest abattoir!


You cannot get a slaughterman to come and kill for you - either do it yourself or bring to the abattoir.
Title: Re: Slaughterman & Butchery needed
Post by: harmony on December 07, 2017, 01:32:19 pm
There is a thread in the pig section that was about home slaughter.


Why is travelling stressful? It shouldn't be if done correctly. Have you been to a lairage at an abattoir? Stressed animals don't make for a good end product.
Title: Re: Slaughterman & Butchery needed
Post by: pharnorth on December 07, 2017, 02:31:45 pm
As Harmony says you will probably find most answers to your questions in the thread on the pig section.
Legislation is all focussed on a dedicated route from abbatior through the food supply chain to protect the public and with Vets present at abbatiors to protect the animals and inspect the meat. So butchers can't take your home slaughtered meat it has to go through an abbatior if it is to go to a butcher.
I don't quite get the reason why slaughter men can't home slaughter and the individual can but I guess it is tied up in ensuring that home produced and slaughtered animals are only consumed by the immediate family and not sold on/ gifted/ bartered. Have a look in Tim Tynes book he covers the whole topic comprehensively.
Transport for a few sheep in a suitable trailer isn't stressful they generally lay down and have a sleep!  More stressful for the keeper if they are unused to it.