[BlueButterfly]

Hey everyone, I'm a newbie and doing some research before getting stuck in; hoping someone can help me!
It is legal to slaughter your own livestock for home consumption only in the UK? What are the rules and regulations concerning poultry? Does it differ between ducks, chickens and quail? 
Pretty sure it doesn't go in 'poultry' but while on thwarting subject anyone know about rabbit slaughter rules while we're here?

Thanks in advance! 

[Mrs Snoodles]

All for your own use unless it is done in a signed off clean environment, stored, packaged accordingly.   I am unsure about selling dead feathered birds for someone else to deal with.  I was told that I could sell my quail in this way, but never tried as it wasn't really worth my while at the time.  Someone once suggested to me that I could sell my birds live, they are then given back to me and then I deal with them etc....but again, too much trouble tbh.....And I'm not 100 percent sure if it Ok.

[scruffbag]

I looked in to this awhile back as i was looking at raising for the christmas market (i'm very happy to be corrected and welcome it). As i understand it you can home slaughter for your own consumption only, or close friends/family if not for profit (tracability of the meat). If you are going to sell to a third party then you must use a registered abatoir to kill it, you can then dress it for sale yourself if you hold all the relivent food hygine certs and the kitchen is signed off by local althority etc.
You can register as an abotoir but only worth it if you are doing alot. I have heard about more laxed laws if you slaughter less than a certain amount each year, i think the figure is 2000 birds but information is sketchy at best, talk to enviromental health at your local council, after all it is there responsibilty to monitor what goes on (mine lets me get away with egg sales to businesses so long as they are in the borough and i've not had to register as an egg packing plant ).
From my experience most abatoirs don't want to know unless your bringing the 200+ birds every week, however small free range producers that carry the relevent liecences and process on site will sometimes do the odd few here and there, but you will have to arrange getting the birds to them on their slaughter day and collect at a later date ( i must say though i normally get quoted £3 each so quite high).
Extra point to think about that triped me up is what to do with the guts as it can't be buried or go in normal bins it has to be speically collected.
Good Luck

[chrismahon]

Hi BlueButterfy. Yes you can slaughter for your own consumption following the guidelines of the HSA (humane slaughter association). I have just bought their publication on the very subject as neck breaking/ crushing machines are now out of favour. We are going to the air rifle method -pellet just behind the eyes. We put the guts into a sealed plastic bag and out for the dustmen. But in Summer, as we are on fortnightly collections, we freeze them and store them until collection day.

[oor wullie]

As I understand it you can slaughter any poultry and rabbits for your own consumption as long as you do it humanely (see HSA guidance).
If you want to sell your slaughtered poultry then it is possible to do it yourself without too much (relatively) trouble (as long as you are doing less than 10,000 a year and meet certain other conditions).  A summary of the conditions you must meet is here http://www.organicfarmers.org.uk/download/technical-leaflets/processors/TL%20210%20Poultry%20Slaughter.pdf
I am pretty sure that regulations are tighter for selling selling birds with the guts still in as that is seen as a higher risk.

I know a farmer who rears about 100 turkeys for christmas, slaughters them on the farm and sells them direct to consumers and sometimes a local butcher.  Although I have never visited them in the week before christmas to see the operation in action, I don't think they have many special facilities.  An old refrigerated lorry (which is only used if the weather is too warm) and they use a cleaned out barn for everything else.

[graham-j]

Hi BlueButterfy. Yes you can slaughter for your own consumption following the guidelines of the HSA (humane slaughter association). I have just bought their publication on the very subject as neck breaking/ crushing machines are now out of favour. We are going to the air rifle method -pellet just behind the eyes. We put the guts into a sealed plastic bag and out for the dustmen. But in Summer, as we are on fortnightly collections, we freeze them and store them until collection day.

Hi,Chris I too agree and think an air gun is an extremely humane way of dispatching a chicken and one I use on sick or old birds.
On birds that are for my own consumption I am concerned about bleeding them so still use the broomstick,how do you deal with bleeding the bird out using an air gun method.

Graham.

[artscott]

 Bluebutterfly, are you intending to slaughter for commercial gain or just asking about slaughter for home consumption?  If you are thinking of commercial production oor wullie pretty much summed it up.  You just have to slog though the paperwork and make sure you understand the requirements.  Then talk to whoever may inspect you.  As with all government rules they are a little vague and open some interpretation so it will be best to check with the local inspector.
If for home consumption, yes you can.
I use the airgun method too, but I put them in an old traffic cone fixed to a tree first.  Hold the beak, shoot through the head (towards the tree so I don’t get the cat, dog or children), then cut the throat and bleed the bird.

[chrismahon]

Hi Graham-J. We haven't got to the stage of using the shooting method for preparing birds to eat. We won't get there until March. The intention is just to hang them and cut the throat. We have noted that the wings need to be tied up otherwise blood collects in them. I am not sure whether the air pistol will have sufficient power or whether we need the air rifle. I expect the pistol will be plenty.

[Sylvia]

I think you would be unwise and cruel to kill poultry by this method. YOU MUST STUN THEM FIRST!! Or use the neck-breaking method which is easy if your hands are strong enough.

[deepinthewoods]

i agree with aylvia. this has been debated before...

[Rosemary]

I think you would be unwise and cruel to kill poultry by this method. YOU MUST STUN THEM FIRST!! Or use the neck-breaking method which is easy if your hands are strong enough.

Which method? Air gun? The shot is a stun / kill. We gently put the birds in a cone with the head down. One shot through the brain to stun / kill. We then open up the blood vessels in the neck with a very sharp knife to ensure kill and bleed. The kill is humane and the meat is perfect.

[Sylvia]

Rosemary, it was Chris's method I was objecting to, cutting throats without stunning

[chrismahon]

Sylvia, I would never knowingly let our chickens suffer in any way (our pet Bottom is on his bed asleep in front of the fire, stoked up for overnight). The cutting of the throat without stunning (death by slow bleeding) is 'el halal' allowable on religious grounds here, for some reason best left to the politicians and do gooders human rights brigade. We intend to shoot them in the head, which is completely allowable both on stunning and killing grounds. The cutting of the throat is AFTER they are dead, simply to get the blood out.  Sorry, but I quickly replied to an earlier question and you need to read both parts before jumping to conclusions Sylvia.

[Sylvia]

Apologies, Chrismahon

[chrismahon]

Accepted Sylvia.