Animal slaughter

BrianV

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dartmoor
Disgusting. He deserves all he gets. Makes you wonder how many other animals he has dispatched in such an inept and cruel manner
Think that's being a little harsh without knowing the full circumstances which are not always straight forward, my point was it could be a blurred line as to when it's acceptable for us as farmers to dispatch an animal we feel is in distress.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
he had to shoot it more than once and in the back of the head f.f.s and in front of trading standards officers got what he deserved
Out of interest, what is the particular issue with shooting in the back of the head?

I was told by a slaughterman years ago, that if euthanasing a ewe shoot it at the back of the head. That's with a .22 or similiar calibre. Cattle should be shot from the front, large calibre rifle, or as one knackerman used to do, a 12b at close range
 
Out of interest, what is the particular issue with shooting in the back of the head?

I was told by a slaughterman years ago, that if euthanasing a ewe shoot it at the back of the head. That's with a .22 or similiar calibre. Cattle should be shot from the front, large calibre rifle, or as one knackerman used to do, a 12b at close range
Big rifle for tups too!!!!
 
Makes you think if he didn't make such a balls of doing it, would anyone have even asked about him having a licence.

However the whole situation sounds abit strange, what was going on for trading standards, a vet and a knacker man who can't aim, all to be there at the same time. Why didn't the vet just put it down?
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Makes you think if he didn't make such a balls of doing it, would anyone have even asked about him having a licence.

However the whole situation sounds abit strange, what was going on for trading standards, a vet and a knacker man who can't aim, all to be there at the same time. Why didn't the vet just put it down?
Vets will not put animals down nowadays....
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
This chap was a tad unlucky in how it turned out but how many of us are aware it's illegal to shoot a farm animal?

man-ordered-to-pay-nearly-6k-after-illegally-killing-cow_60459.html

It's not illegal to shoot a farm animal.

From the DEFRA website.

Screenshot_20220526-054830.png

Clearly, Mr Mullin was working as a knacker man without the correct licence.

However, the same regulations state a licence is not required for home kill, nor for putting down animals in an emergency, or using a free bullet in a field where the animal is not going to be eaten.
Screenshot_20220526-054838.png


Do not let this case discourage anyone from humanely destroying livestock on their own farm. It is always legal to kill an animal to prevent suffering.
 

roscoe erf

Member
Livestock Farmer
Out of interest, what is the particular issue with shooting in the back of the head?

I was told by a slaughterman years ago, that if euthanasing a ewe shoot it at the back of the head. That's with a .22 or similiar calibre. Cattle should be shot from the front, large calibre rifle, or as one knackerman used to do, a 12b at close range
I was taught to shoot horses and cattle from the front to make a imaginary cross from right ear to left eye and left ear to right eye and where the cross meets you have the point of entry, i've never had a situation as described and i've never seen anyone shoot a large animal from behind how do you know for sure your in the right place you'll end up in the mess that chap was .
 

roscoe erf

Member
Livestock Farmer
It's not illegal to shoot a farm animal.

From the DEFRA website.

View attachment 1038542

Clearly, Mr Mullin was working as a knacker man without the correct licence.

However, the same regulations state a licence is not required for home kill, nor for putting down animals in an emergency, or using a free bullet in a field where the animal is not going to be eaten.
View attachment 1038543

Do not let this case discourage anyone from humanely destroying livestock on their own farm. It is always legal to kill an animal to prevent suffering.
well that makes the situation even worse
 

Paddington

Member
Location
Soggy Shropshire
We have had vets in to dispatch sheep in pain and they have done the job quickly and professionally. On one occasion, on the advice of our vet who was unable to kill an adult boar, we called in a rifleman from the knackers. Instead a chap turned up with a captive bolt gun who said it would be sufficient to do the job. It was not. After four shots and the boar screaming in pain for almost an hour, the rifleman was called in. For each shot I had to get into the pen to get the crazed animal (with tusks) near enough to the side of the pen to be shot. With me doing most of the work, the pig was eventually loaded onto the truck which left with a trail of blood down the road. I didn't ask whether the knackerman had WATOK training.
 

box

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
NZ
We have had vets in to dispatch sheep in pain and they have done the job quickly and professionally. On one occasion, on the advice of our vet who was unable to kill an adult boar, we called in a rifleman from the knackers. Instead a chap turned up with a captive bolt gun who said it would be sufficient to do the job. It was not. After four shots and the boar screaming in pain for almost an hour, the rifleman was called in. For each shot I had to get into the pen to get the crazed animal (with tusks) near enough to the side of the pen to be shot. With me doing most of the work, the pig was eventually loaded onto the truck which left with a trail of blood down the road. I didn't ask whether the knackerman had WATOK training.
Failed captive bolt stuns are attrociously inhumane, their use on farm should be banned IMO, yet the powers that be continue to insist that they're a humane slaughter device. The worst bit is the amount of untrained people out there who assume the captive bolt kills the animal, then fail to pith or stick the stunned beast afterwards (usually because they don't want to get their hands dirty) :(

Either buy a gun or find someone with a gun, stick the Blitz Kerner in the scrap metal bin where it belongs.

Why could the vet not do it?
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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