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Author Topic: Halal  (Read 5025 times)

SteveHants

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: Halal
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2012, 02:11:14 pm »
I think I made my views on Halal clear on the other thread. I don't know wether each animal has a prayer said or the whole batch are blessed - it might vary.


When I was farming fish, I did halal slaughter, we had a few groups from Leicester come to buy, because it is very hard to get fish as a Muslim. Muslims cannot eat fish that has suffocated, so thats all trawler caught fish out of the equation, neither can it go back in the water after it is 'caught' so our fish-killer, which was basically a salt water bath through which a voltage was passed was also out.


Essentially, this meant I had to knock each trout on the head, which I have no problems with - some Imams would bless each fish and some would just bless the whole basket and leave me to get on with the head knocking. The prayer is very short.


I think the people who loudly pronounce it a 'disgusting' practice often have no frame of reference anyway. I have also slaughtered hundreds of turkeys in my time, by hand where the 'stunner' was in essence, a stick (non halal  :P ).


My next-door neighbour worked as a slaughterman years ago (non-halal) and he has some stories which I wont repeat on the internet, suffice to say that for those who think the bolt/stunner kills the animal, it doesn't, it is the bleeding that kills it, which happens in Halal and non-halal slaughter.


Welshcob

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: Halal
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2012, 04:51:21 pm »
Well I thought that the bolt/stunner were obviously meant to stun and not to kill. Clearly a lot more misinformation than I thought out there.

I qualified as a vet and what they teach us and what we see in various abattoirs is this: animals arrive, vet is supposed to check that each is healthy enough to be killed, they are only supposed to stand in waiting pens for no longer than 2 hours (30min if birds/rabbits), if longer they must be given food and water, if staying overnight they must have shelter from the elements.
When their time comes, they need to go in single file towards the stunning area, where they are stunned using various techniques. The following animal is not supposed to see what happens to the one in front, although I will agree that they are not stupid and even if they don't see, they can still hear and smell death.

Bolts are mostly used for cattle, horses and sheep. For pigs it is easier to use electrocution, or some big places have CO2 chambers. All of these techniques are meant to make the animal unconscious, and not to kill. If they are killed during stunning procedures, the staff hasn't been properly trained. Being unconscious does not mean that the animal might recover. In fact, most stunning techniques were devised to induce permanent unconsciousness.
It is duty of the staff to hoist them asap and bleed them by severing he big vessels in the neck. THAT is when they die, from terminal bleeding and not before.
So the stunning is supposed to ease their passing from alive to unconscious to dead without feeling too much pain.

If somebody said that ANY killing method is better than another because there's no pain, I would call that b*****t; in any method there is a certain amount of pain, and stress due to the handling (I agree, most rough in some cases). It is our duty to make the amount of pain and stress the smallest possible, but it cannot ever be completely annulled.

So I think that whichever way it is done, whether Western or Halal or Kosher, if done properly and following the rules none is supposed to be better or worse for the animals. Even those methods that were based on ancient religious practices still keep the animal welfare in high regard. They all strive to make the process as quick and painless as possible - repeat, if done following the rules.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Halal
« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2012, 09:34:29 pm »
I am preparing to send my goat, Curry, to the abbatoir.  I wish I hadn't read this thread.  He's going to a very small one though, where they take up to eight animals a day.

Welshcob

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: Halal
« Reply #18 on: November 20, 2012, 09:39:39 pm »
MGM, if I were you I'd feel happier that Curry goes to a small abattoir and not a big commercial affair. He's going to be treated with respect, I'm sure and you shouldn't feel too bad about it  :bouquet:  :hug:

ppd

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Sutherland
Re: Halal
« Reply #19 on: November 20, 2012, 10:02:25 pm »
Just reading this tread makes me realise the we all actually CARE how our animals are killed and discuss it and IMHO yes it is for the animal never going to be a totally sress and pain free process, but as previous posters have said if done right can at least minimise that and we should be proud of that and MGM I wish that I had access to a small abattoir like that. I am sure they will be treated with respect too :bouquet:
Pauline

SteveHants

  • Joined Aug 2011
Re: Halal
« Reply #20 on: November 20, 2012, 11:24:56 pm »
Well I thought that the bolt/stunner were obviously meant to stun and not to kill. Clearly a lot more misinformation than I thought out there.


I don't think its misinformation, I think its just a wrong assumption people make - a blow to the head or a voltage and it closes its eyes and shudders etc so they presume it is dead.

 

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