Whats the laws on shooting livestock.

[e5c0rt.mk1]

Hi,
I had to shoot a neighbours cow the other day as it had gone down and the knacker man who came for it didnt have a gun with him.

Does anyone know what the laws are on shooting someone else's livestock? Is it legal, or is it a case of JFDI

Thanks

 

[David.]

What you must not do is cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. If you can shoot it competently with a adequate gun, I see no problem.
If you use a rifle, by the letter of the law there should be a condition on your FAC permitting use for humane destruction of animals.
All assuming you have the direct, explicit consent if the actual owner, obviously.

 

[Scholsey]

Hi,
I had to shoot a neighbours cow the other day as it had gone down and the knacker man who came for it didnt have a gun with him.

Does anyone know what the laws are on shooting someone else's livestock? Is it legal, or is it a case of JFDI

Thanks

JFDI as long as you know what your doing, know of a ex college farm manager who used to shoot cows with a humane killer and not pith them, student who worked here sent me a video of a cow breathing and blinking over a hour after being ‘shot’, bloke should have been arrested and banned from animals.

 

[unlacedgecko]

JFDI as long as you know what your doing, know of a ex college farm manager who used to shoot cows with a humane killer and not pith them, student who worked here sent me a video of a cow breathing and blinking over a hour after being ‘shot’, bloke should have been arrested and banned from animals.

Do you mean bolt gun? They're humane stunners, not killers.

Misuse of them is terrible and down to lack of training.

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

I always use a 12 bore and it seem to do the job well, they're dead as soon as i have pulled the trigger.

It was a strange one to do as it was pet, but the reason i wanted to know the legal side of it was, the fella who lives next to where it was, is a dick and he wouldn't think twice to try and get someone into trouble.

 

[Dry Rot]

I know you can destroy your own animals but not so sure about livestock belonging to others. DEFRA have a page on it somewhere but a quick search didn't find it. Don't you need a slaughterman's licence to destroy animals if they belong to someone else or is that just for human consumption? There will be a code of practice and list of acceptable methods somewhere.

 

[primmiemoo]

There used to be guidance booklets with very, very clear information from the Veterinary Associations. I know there's an emergency booklet for sheep from the Sheep Veterinary Association.

It's really strange, but a search doesn't come up with anything.

Edit! There is a pdf to print from the Red Tractor site.

 

[steveR]

I always use a 12 bore and it seem to do the job well, they're dead as soon as i have pulled the trigger.

It was a strange one to do as it was pet, but the reason i wanted to know the legal side of it was, the fella who lives next to where it was, is a dick and he wouldn't think twice to try and get someone into trouble.

Exactly , what a knackerman who came and shot and old Highland bullockfor us used. One shot between the eyes and dropped stone dead. Old single barrel 12B No 4 shot.

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

Introduction

www.hsa.org.uk

Thats a good guide how to do it properly but it still doesnt say anything about the laws.

 

[Scholsey]

Do you mean bolt gun? They're humane stunners, not killers.

Misuse of them is terrible and down to lack of training.

Students complained and he had to apologise to the students before a lecture and after that none of the students were allowed to have phones on them when doing farm duties to stop them taking photos/videos. Still makes me angry thinking about it.

 

[roscoe erf]

I know you can destroy your own animals but not so sure about livestock belonging to others. DEFRA have a page on it somewhere but a quick search didn't find it. Don't you need a slaughterman's licence to destroy animals if they belong to someone else or is that just for human consumption? There will be a code of practice and list of acceptable methods somewhere.

if the animal is in distress i'd jfdi

 

[Scholsey]

I know you can destroy your own animals but not so sure about livestock belonging to others. DEFRA have a page on it somewhere but a quick search didn't find it. Don't you need a slaughterman's licence to destroy animals if they belong to someone else or is that just for human consumption? There will be a code of practice and list of acceptable methods somewhere.

I dont think the poor old cow dying of ecoli or bull with a broken leg will ask to see a license before it decides whether your allowed finish the poor buger off, havent had a knackerman shoot anything here for 20+ years, if something is bad enough that it needs shooting it wants shooting as soon as you made that decision not once the knackerman drives around another 20+ farms before getting to you, maybe i was brought up hard but in my opinion you shouldn't be allowed to be responsible of livestock if your not capable of putting something out of its misery as soon as required.

 

[Lili]

This might be some help. It says owner or someone acting on behalf of the owner.
View attachment emergencyslaughterdownload (1).pdf

 

[unlacedgecko]

It’s always legal to kill an animal in order to relieve suffering, by any means necessary as long as it does not cause further suffering.

 

[Al R]

I dont think the poor old cow dying of ecoli or bull with a broken leg will ask to see a license before it decides whether your allowed finish the poor buger off, havent had a knackerman shoot anything here for 20+ years, if something is bad enough that it needs shooting it wants shooting as soon as you made that decision not once the knackerman drives around another 20+ farms before getting to you, maybe i was brought up hard but in my opinion you shouldn't be allowed to be responsible of livestock if your not capable of putting something out of its misery as soon as required.

I feel the same. Currently on 5/6 days wait for collection - would that alter if they needed to be put down to I don’t know? Always done them myself here. My license specifies it too.

 

[HolzKopf]

This might be some help. It says owner or someone acting on behalf of the owner.
View attachment emergencyslaughterdownload (1).pdf

I've seen that guide before - thanks for posting, it's useful and helpful in case that black day comes and you need to assist

 

[goodevans]

Easiest say the owner did it,you just went along to help load

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What sort of knackerman doesn’t have a gun on him

 

[deleted user 837354]

This may have been mentioned before.

You are driving along and come across a person who has just hit a deer/fox in their car. The animal is unconscious/stunned or whatever and quite obviously a complete mess and need to be euthanized. Is it legal if you just take a lump hammer out of your boot and hit it in the head there an then?

What if a vegan or whatever comes along witnesses you doing it and then threatens to call the police on you for doing it when the RSCPA or whatever were 'clearly a better bet'?

 

[e5c0rt.mk1]

What sort of knackerman doesn’t have a gun on him

He was just new at the job, it was only because he was in the area he came. If we wanted them to shoot it, one of the other lads had to come out