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Overview of Homekill Requirements

Homekill is the slaughtering and butchering of your own animal, either by yourself or by a listed homekill and recreational catch service provider, for your own use and consumption. The word 'use' means that animal owners can feed homekill meat to their animals.

Homekill cannot be traded for human or animal consumption. Those who use or consume homekill or recreational catch product do so at their own risk. As homekill and recreational catch meat has not been subject to any hygiene or processing standards or control, or any assessment, e.g. ante- or post-mortem inspection, no assurances can be given on its fitness for consumption.

What is allowed for homekill?

The basic policy for homekill activity is set out in section 67 of the Animal Products Act.

• Those who can homekill are animal owners who are actively engaged in the day-to-day maintenance of the animal, or animals of the same kind, for a period of at least 28 days.

• Such owners may kill and process the animal themselves on their own property (includes property leased, or where there is other legal right to occupy or use the property), or they may have the animal killed or processed by a listed homekill or recreational catch service provider on the service provider's premises or place or the animal owner's own property.

• Homekill product is for the use or consumption of the animal owner including his or her family¹ or household² and must not be traded (includes barter, supply as part of a service, public prize or reward etc).

• A farmer may supply homekill product to an employee of the farmer who is employed in an ongoing manner in the farmer's daily farming operations, for the use or consumption of that employee (including his or her family or household).

• The parts of the homekill animal that are not for human or animal consumption (such as the hide, skin, horns, antlers) may be traded and waste material may be sold to a render.

The Animal Products Act also allows animals to be killed for humane reasons at a location other than the animal owner's own property or a listed service provider's premises or place, or by a person other than the owner or a listed service provider.

Disclaimer:

This publication is not a legal interpretation of the Animal Products Act or the Animal Products (Ancillary and Transitional Provisions) Act and is intended only as a guide.