Author Topic: CAS/CAK - anyone? - Poultry dispatch (Read 3088 times)

LulaB · « **on:** August 15, 2011, 12:00:38 pm »

This seems to be the most humane and stress free (for bird and farmer) method of dispatching table birds, but I can't see how you could get the clearance as a smallholder (private consumption). WASK mentions presence of vet and a licensed slaughter person, plus notice given to Sec of State five days in advance. It also states that the birds will have come to end of their life as either layers or breeders.

It is a lot cheaper (the kit would cost £50 for the chamber, £20 for a regulator plus the cost of a CO2 or Argon cylinder which is re-fillable) than an electric stunner and would leave less of a margin for error for a well meaning, but incompetent person trying dislocation.

Any thoughts?

Sylvia · « **Reply #1 on:** August 15, 2011, 12:52:12 pm »

Who would pay for the presence of the vet and the slaughterman? I doubt their services would come free. I bought a stunner and applied for a provisional licence from D.E.F.R.A. I then had to have a D.E.F.R.A. vet come and watch me do a couple of ducks and was sent a certificate of competence.
Yes the stunner was expensive initially but I can now do other people's poultry and hope to recoup a bit this way.
I was very anxious the first time I used it but it was so quick and so easy that I have no qualms at all now. I kill the birds in the half-dark so that they( and consequently I) are not flustered or upset. The bird is rendered deeply unconcious by the stunner and then has the jugular artery in the neck cut. They are dead in a minute without knowing a thing about it.
Having said this, I have never tried CAS/ CAK but if I can help re. stunner I will be glad to.

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** August 15, 2011, 01:12:17 pm »

Anyone want to tell me what CAS, CAK, and WASK stands for?

LulaB · « **Reply #3 on:** August 15, 2011, 01:46:25 pm »

CAS - Controlled Atmospheric Stunning, CAK - Controlled Atmospheric Killing, WASK - Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/731/contents/made

CAS/K - The bird is put into a chamber (like a veterinary anaesthesia chamber) and either CO2, Nitrogen or Argon pumped in. The bird is left in the chamber for 2 minutes, then removed and bled out. There is no handling of the bird (other than placing it into the chamber), so no stress. I'm trying to get guidance from Defra/FSA on this one. Will keep you posted.

Rosemary · « **Reply #4 on:** August 15, 2011, 09:29:12 pm »

Have you spoken to the Humane Slaughter Association?

hughesy · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2011, 09:42:39 pm »

The popular broomstick method removes any uncertainty and does not require the presence of a vet or any other unnecesary expense.

Barrett · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2011, 03:54:16 pm »

Sylvia, you will make a mint on doing other people's birds I would have around 20-25 to do at one time but unless you have 1000 nobody is interested, asked a turkey farmer once to do the whole process for me but he suddenly developed a regulation headache, he only had a licence to do is own birds not others. That is the reason I stopped doing meat birds, so it is any cockerels I don't need now which isn't the same.