Guidance: On farm slaughter facility authorisation

How to apply for authorisation to carry out on farm slaughter of farmed game and poultry.

The following information outlines the requirements for on farm facility authorisation for the slaughter of:

The information on this page relates to on farm slaughter and not emergency slaughter of domestic ungulates outside slaughterhouses. For emergency slaughter the ante mortem inspection can be carried out by a private veterinarian. Emergency slaughter does not include fractious bovines.

1. On farm slaughter of game and poultry 

A number of requirements have to be met before farmed game, poultry reared for the production of foie gras and poultry subjected to delayed evisceration can be slaughtered at the farm of origin.

In order to do so, business operators must:

On farm slaughter facilities require veterinary controls to be carried out, and these facilities must be authorised by the FSA before any slaughter can be undertaken.

Under the food hygiene legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2006, on farm slaughter facilities require authorisation by the competent authority, to which both Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 and Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 apply.

In order for your establishment to be suitable for authorisation there are several pieces of legislation that need to be taken into account.