Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967

1 †Provisions as to mode of slaughter, for certain commercial purposes, of turkeys and domestic fowls. E+W+S

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, no [F1 bird to which this act applies] shall be slaughtered, . . . F2 , unless it is slaughtered instantaneously by means of decapitation or dislocation of the neck or some other method approved by the Ministers, or it is, by stunning effected by means of an instrument of a kind approved by them and in proper repair, instantaneously rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes.

(2) The foregoing subsection shall not apply to the slaughter, without the infliction of unnecessary suffering, of a bird—

(a) by the Jewish method for the food of Jews and by a Jew duly licensed for the purpose by the Rabbinical Commission referred to in Schedule 1 to [F3 the M1 Slaughterhouses Act 1974]; or

(b) by the Muslim method for the food of Muslims and by a Muslim.

[F4 (2A) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to the slaughter of any bird—

(a) in pursuance of powers conferred by, or by any instrument made or having effect as if made under, the M2 Animal health Act 1981;

(b) in the course of [F5 a procedure duly authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986]; or

(c) by a person registered in the register of veterinary surgeons or the supplementary veterinary register, or a person acting under his direction, where the person so registered is acting in the exercise of his profession.

(2B) The Ministers may, after consultation with such persons or bodies as seem to them representative of the interests concerned, by order approve subject to such conditions as they may think fit any method of slaughter as a method suitable for the slaughter of poultry chicks; and where poultry chicks are slaughtered without the infliction of unnecessary suffering by any method so approved and in accordance with any conditions applicable to the approval—

(a) subsection (1) of this section shall not aply to their slaughter, and

(b) nothing done in the course of their slaughter shall be taken to be done in contravention of any prohibition or restriction imposed by or under any other enactment, being a prohibition or restriction of a kind described in the order.

In this subsection “poultry chicks” means birds to which this Act applies, not being more than 72 hours old.

(2C) The power conferred by subsection (2B) of this section to make orders shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.]

(3) A person who slaughters a bird in contravention of subsection (1) of this section shall, unless he proves that by reason of an accident or other emergency the slaughter was necessary for preventing physical injury or suffering to any person or animal, be guilty of an offence and liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding [F6 level 3 on the standard scale].

(4) This section shall apply to Scotland as if in subsection (2)(a) for the words from “Rabbinical” to [F7 “1974”] there were substituted the words “Chief Rabbi”.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 (c. 40, SIF 2:8), Sch. 1 para. 1(2)

F2 Words “for purposes of preparation for sale for human consumption” repealed with (temp.) saving by Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 (c. 40, SIF 2:8), s. 17(4), Sch. 2

F3 Words substituted by Slaughterhouses Act 1974 (c. 3, SIF 112), Sch. 3 para. 4

F4 S. 1(2A)–(2C) inserted by Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 (c. 40, SIF 2:8), s. 5(2)

F5 Words substituted by Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (c. 14, SIF 4:5), s. 27(2), Sch. 3 para. 6

F6 Words substituted by Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 (c. 40, SIF 2:8), Sch. 1 para. 1(3)

F7 Words substituted by Slaughterhouses Act 1974 (c. 3, SIF 112), Sch. 3 para. 4

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Unreliable marginal note

C2 S. 1(1) excluded (temp.) by Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 (c. 40, SIF 2:8), s. 17(4)>

Marginal Citations

M1 1974 c. 3(112).

M2 1981 c. 22(4:4).