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Rebecca

I would encourage everybody to listen to Joe Duffy today at 1.45 and tune into the current debate on home slaughter of poultry. Perhaps somebody from this forum could offer a balanced view from the smallholder?

If you miss it log on and download the podcast ... its fascinating listening and raises many important issues about animal welfare, cruelty etc. The contributors all all passionate about their beliefs, the debate is highly charged, its something we should be talking about ...

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_liveline.xml
Download sept 11, yesterdays hot debate and sept 12, as it will probably continue today

Am I correct in thinking the law states that killing of livestock on home premises is not illegal. However, if livestock is not slaughtered in a licensed abbatoir, the law states that the meat must only be consumed by the home owners ... it may not be sold, bartered, given as a gift, or even served to visitors.

I can't know whether or not the man in question kept his ducks humanely, and with good welfare, but the dspca took his poultry on the grounds that culling animals at home is illegal and cruel. Granted it took place in a city back garden with overlooking neighbours which is far from ideal ... but there are issues here to look at.

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David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

Hi Rebecca

I missed the debate, but will try to check it out.

I'm almost certain that home slaughter is completely legal...I checked into it a while back. As you say, it's illegal to sell or barter meat unless it comes from a licensed abbatoir.

Having experienced both abbatoirs and home kills, home slaughter when done properly is certainly far less stressful for the animal involved. I hesitate to mention it on a public forum, but we have killed ducks, chickens, geese and goats. We've seen really terrible abuse going on in licensed abbatoirs. One day I will kill our own pigs. I hate taking pigs to slaughter, and I am certain that they would endure far less stress with a properly executed (excuse the pun!) home kill.

I must admit that I don't shout about it when we are slaughtering...there are a few neighbours who would probably raise hell...misguided animal lovers if you ask me. I'm an animal lover myself which is why I don't eat factory farmed meat, and we go to huge lengths to raise our meat humanely. We take incredible care with the slaughter of animals that we have raised ourselves. I don't want to sound like a hippy but it is a very important, serious business for us...you look after animals all their lives, caring for them, the last thing you want is for them to suffer. As such we go to great lengths to kill our animals quickly and cleanly.

I know that in some of the new EU accession states, the right to "home kill" was specifically mentioned when those states joined...apparently it was a serious issue, because of the number of smallholdings in those countries. I read a statement from an Irish member of the EU commission ensuring smallholders that they would retain the right to home kill under EU rules. Unfortunately I can't remember his name.

If home killing becomes illegal the world will have gone mad...OK, if the method used is inhumane, fair enough...but you'd have to be pretty bloody inhumane to cause as much stress to the animal as they get in an abbatoir.

Thats my 2cents!

D

David · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Co. Clare

Here's the relevant legislation:

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1995/en/si/0114.html

D

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

I could not agree more with your sentiments David. I agree with the policy of no selling etc to a third party if not slaughtered in an abattoir, as the carcasses should be passed off by the national health inspector as fit for human consumption. Which is part of the slaughter process of course. When it comes to poultry I have never considered getting someone else to do it, and have always done the job myself. I have taken the point that this is morally right, as I have taken the responsibility of their welfare in life so I should not shirk the responsibility of their deaths. There is a problem with Goats in Ireland if we wish to sell the meat. There is apparently no abattoir here that is licenced to slaughter them Confused

I hope the policy of home slaughter for home consumption remains. I hated taking my pigs to the abattoir.

Chris.
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Rebecca · Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:19 am Post subject:

Ditto David.
Our animals trust us as we treat them we love and care. Therefore with those raised for the table, when the time comes, they are at complete and utter ease with no deviation whatsoever from their everyday routine. They are not aware that anything is happening, one second here, the next gone.

We are lucky with our pigs, the abbatoir is small, only 5 pigs slaughtered the day we brought ours. Even so, it was horrid handing them over to people we didn't know, people who didn't know our pigs and letting them go out of our sight where we had no say in how they were treated. I would much rather see exactly whats done once they leave our sight, to ensure that I'm happy that its as stress free as possible.

My guts wrench when I see overloaded truck fulls of pigs on busy roads on their way to slaughter, obviously very stressed. What a terrible way to go.

I actually wrote a post for my blog about my first ever chicken kill this weekend, I'm wondering if I should put it up, or will the dspca come and confiscate my birds, pigs, etc!

_________________
Relocation to the sticks.
Moving smoothly from one crisis to the next on our rural Irish smallholding www.sallygardens.typepad.com
Sustainable Living bookshop, forum and courses
eBooklets ; pigs, goats