Author Topic: Sheep slaughtering (Read 2646 times)

roger352 · « **on:** February 11, 2013, 08:53:53 pm »

Hi
Im new to smallholding a looking for a smallholding of my own some land very close to my house. So at the moment im reading everything i can to be armed with as much info as i can.

The question i have yes can you dispatch your own sheep at home and then butcher them?. I thought all livestock had to go to the an abbattoir, so why is it that i read in the March edition of homefarmer under "A Smallholder's diary" page 69 17th December and i quote "Tim killed two lambs for the freezer and left them hanging ready to cut up in a day or two".
Can this be right?

shropshire_blue · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2013, 08:59:54 pm »

I think (and don't quote me on this) that you can kill sheep for personal consumption - i.e. not your wife, not kids, just you.

Personally for the sake of the £20 or so, I'd rather get the abattoir to do it properly and know the animal didn't suffer, as I don't have the experience to do it myself.

I'm sure someone can find you the legislation...

VSS · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2013, 09:10:36 pm »

It is perfectly Ok to home slaughter for private consumption providing you follow all the relevant guidlines. Personally I think there is a lot more stress and suffering caused to stock by taking them on a 50 mile trailer trip to the abattoir than quietly knocking them on the head in your own backyard.

Tim has been killing for our freezer for the last twenty five years, so he has plenty of experience!

YorkshireLass · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2013, 09:46:49 pm »

You have to consider disposal of the inedible bits too - I think the brain/spine of a sheep over a year old is "SRM" (specified risk material) and has to be disposed of officially?

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2013, 10:09:07 pm »

Thats correct, you can home slaughter but there is no way out of the rules requiring this material to be collected and disposed of by a registered outlet, so there is a small cost there.

graham-j · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2013, 09:50:24 am »

Quote from: YorkshireLass on February 11, 2013, 09:46:49 pm

You have to consider disposal of the inedible bits too - I think the brain/spine of a sheep over a year old is "SRM" (specified risk material) and has to be disposed of officially?

How would you go about disposing of this correctly.

Graham.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2013, 10:30:37 am »

You call the local knackery - either direct or via the national fallen livestock co- there are set priced for all categories of species and ages of animal/waste. Ours comes our within a few hours as we are in a big livestock area

Small Farmer · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2013, 10:59:04 am »

Quote from: VSS on February 11, 2013, 09:10:36 pm

It is perfectly Ok to home slaughter for private consumption providing you follow all the relevant guidlines. Personally I think there is a lot more stress and suffering caused to stock by taking them on a 50 mile trailer trip to the abattoir than quietly knocking them on the head in your own backyard.

Tim has been killing for our freezer for the last twenty five years, so he has plenty of experience!

Tim's book goes into considerable detail on the process. Very helpful indeed and well worth reading