[billy_wiz]

If I was to kill my poultry for consumption do I need a licence to kill.   

Probably if I was supplying to a butcher or selling to the public but not for my own use!!

If one was needed what criteria do you have to meet?

The reason I ask is heard that someone local has been prosecuted for not having one.

[macgro7]

Only James Bond had a licence to kill lol

You can slaughter your own poultry for your own consumption. No problems. Turkeys and geese might need to be stunned according to law (depending on weight).

[PK]

You can slaughter poultry up to 3kg for home consumption using neck dislocation to 'stun'. You can 'mechanically' dislocate to stun up to 5kg. No licence is needed for either of these circumstances. Bleeding should follow stunning. More than 5kg other methods of stunning such as electrical or captive bolt should be used. This will need a licence. If you stick to the regulations, as I understand them, slaughtering your own turkey or goose for home consumption is tricky without a licence.

To become licensed an APHA listed vet can certificate you for the specific species in which they assess your competence. As far as I can ascertain to gain an AWATOK certificate is in practice only really achievable if you are already working in a slaughter house and undertake a work based training and assessment. If anyone knows of other routes to be licensed for slaughtering poultry, I'd be interested.

You can read the regulations here:-
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/slaughter-poultry-livestock-and-rabbits-for-home-consumption

[Alex_]

You can slaughter poultry up to 3kg for home consumption using neck dislocation to 'stun'. You can 'mechanically' dislocate to stun up to 5kg. No licence is needed for either of these circumstances. Bleeding should follow stunning. More than 5kg other methods of stunning such as electrical or captive bolt should be used. This will need a licence. If you stick to the regulations, as I understand them, slaughtering your own turkey or goose for home consumption is tricky without a licence.

This is correct and you can only do a certain amount.

I use this when I did my ducks http://www.sprcentre.com/Online-Shop-Categories/Poultry-House-Accessories/Wall-Mounted-Humane-Poultry-Dispatcher


Legally only for your use and the only people that can eat it are the ones that live in your house. You can't invite someone over and serve the bird

There are also rules on keeping the animals calm.  So when you dispatch you are out of views of the other birds and you calmly pick up the bird as to not cause a fuss.

[landroverroy]

Legally only for your use and the only people that can eat it are the ones that live in your house. You can't invite someone over and serve the bird

Wow - no wonder officialdom doesn't have the manpower to investigate "real" crime. I'll have to cancel all my invites for Christmas dinner now in case the "Gestapo" turn up to check the guest list.

[Anke]

You can slaughter poultry up to 3kg for home consumption using neck dislocation to 'stun'. You can 'mechanically' dislocate to stun up to 5kg. No licence is needed for either of these circumstances. Bleeding should follow stunning. More than 5kg other methods of stunning such as electrical or captive bolt should be used. This will need a licence. If you stick to the regulations, as I understand them, slaughtering your own turkey or goose for home consumption is tricky without a licence.

To become licensed an APHA listed vet can certificate you for the specific species in which they assess your competence. As far as I can ascertain to gain an AWATOK certificate is in practice only really achievable if you are already working in a slaughter house and undertake a work based training and assessment. If anyone knows of other routes to be licensed for slaughtering poultry, I'd be interested.

You can read the regulations here:-
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/slaughter-poultry-livestock-and-rabbits-for-home-consumption

That article does NOT mention that you need a licence to use a captive stunning bolt.

[waddy]

We studied the regs when we started. We do turkeys and geese as well as hens and ducks. We use captive bolt with a specific cone shape bolt for larger birds and a flat one for chickens plus immediate neck bleeding. A killing cone is a must for us especially for larger birds. Only we can eat them with home kill. It can and be done quickly and efficiently. We never take it lightly.


H

[macgro7]

Another issue:
You are allowed to slaughter birds on farm and sell then if you are a "small producer", I.e. slaughter less than 10,000 a year.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/slaughtering-poultry-rabbits-and-hares-on-farms-for-small-scale-suppliers

When you’re classed as a small-scale supplier

You’re classed as a small-scale supplier if all of these apply:

you slaughter less than 10,000 birds, rabbits or hares per year on your farmyou supply the birds, rabbits or hares directly to the final consumer or to local shopsyou supply meat within your own county and the adjoining counties (or no further than 50 kilometres from your county’s border)

You still count as a small-scale, local supplier even if you sell poultry to the whole of the UK in the 2 weeks before Christmas, Easter and Michaelmas (usually in late September).

On-farm slaughter of more than 10,000 birds

You’re also classed as a small-scale supplier if you slaughter more than 10,000 birds on your farm and you’re a member of an assurance scheme approved by the Food Standards Agency and you either:

• dry pluck by hand
• slaughter for fewer than 40 days per year

[greenbeast]

Who on earth is getting licenced to produce their own poultry dinner?! Ridiculous