# Kosher Slaughter on the farm



## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

So I had a call yesterday from a person who wants to come and buy a steer from me. They want to come to the farm and "Kosher Slaughter" the animal. I would then need to take carcass to butcher for processing for them... Not sure I really want to get into this, but it could be a good niche market for me to sell my 15-20 animals a year. Any one every do this? Input? FYI a kosher slaughter means cuts its neck and letting it bleed out while live....


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

A lot of local restrictions will put a stop to this for you.

It's technically not 'kosher' to allow somebody to slaughter an animal on your place if you offer the animal for sale.

Most processors require the animal to walk in on its own and they follow an SOP in an approved facility under certain guidelines. For Sale meat must be inspected, personal (not for sale) inspection is not required.

Here's my state's link
http://www.ncagr.gov/MeatPoultry/qanda.htm


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

We get non-stop requests for this for the sheep and goats, we have turned them all down. Not worth the premium to open that can of worms for us.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

BWfarms said:


> A lot of local restrictions will put a stop to this for you.
> 
> It's technically not 'kosher' to allow somebody to slaughter an animal on your place if you offer the animal for sale.
> 
> ...


Our local shop doesn't have an inspector on site so the meat isn't stamped for resale, but it is inspected annually by USDA...Around here we can sell whole,halves and quarters of an animal and run it through a shop that doesn't have an inspector on site.I was thinking of calling our local shop and asking about it, but wasn't sure if I really wanted to go that far..


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Mike,

You are correct. You can in theory haul the live animal to a facility for the buyer (they are suppose to arrange transport). The buyer is supposed to pay the facility to have the animal processed and are responsible for pick up. Your hands are now washed of any liability. To put it shortly, Not For Sale is designated as personal consumption meaning they accept all risks. For Sale labeling is only relevant to the fact the meat has been inspected itself and is approved for further retail.

The act of slaughter has to be done in an approved/inspected facility. The transport of the carcass to another processing facility would be a logistical nightmare. Allowing somebody else to slaughter their purchased animal on your property is also unlawful unless you have an inspected facility in place. Plus you would be liable if they should get sick. The buyer would have to make the request to the actual processor.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I wonder if the laws are different in PA. Here we have a local shop that will come out with a special truck, slaughter on your farm. Skin and gut at your place, then load the carcass up and haul it back to their shop for processing...of course I just assume that what they do is legal...who knows...


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Mobile slaughter units are an approved option if they meet the requirements. These are not common in my area.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

BWfarms said:


> Mobile slaughter units are an approved option if they meet the requirements. These are not common in my area.


Same here in Michigan, approved mobile units. The only way to get around would be process it yourself (in reality let customer do it all, but I wouldn't want the risks associate with that).

Larry


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## atgreene (May 19, 2013)

If you sell the animal to them, allow them to kill it then haul it to any butcher it can be done for their own consumption. No different that taking a deer in for butcher that you shot. Find a local meatcutter and have at it. The key to making a living is to find a niche no one is filling.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

atgreene said:


> If you sell the animal to them, allow them to kill it then haul it to any butcher it can be done for their own consumption. No different that taking a deer in for butcher that you shot. Find a local meatcutter and have at it. The key to making a living is to find a niche no one is filling.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

I'd say you are spot on.
We have people all the time have a wild one they can't get caught up that just shoot it in the field and take it have it dressed and ground into hamburger.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

PaMike said:


> FYI a kosher slaughter means cuts its neck and letting it bleed out while live....


I don't know if you have ever seen an animal die with its jugular cut.....but it is not a endearing sight. You better have your big boy pants on....and not look into the animals eyes if you want to rest easy that night. I have nothing against killing at all....but I believe in a swift end. Kosher is not swift enough in my eyes.

Regards, Mike


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

atgreene said:


> If you sell the animal to them, allow them to kill it then haul it to any butcher it can be done for their own consumption. No different that taking a deer in for butcher that you shot. Find a local meatcutter and have at it. The key to making a living is to find a niche no one is filling.





Swv.farmer said:


> I'd say you are spot on.
> We have people all the time have a wild one they can't get caught up that just shoot it in the field and take it have it dressed and ground into hamburger.


If a State or Local ordinance has superior guidelines, they supersede Federal. Federal guidelines are a tad less stringent than North Carolina. Plus local ordinances play a factor as well as your insurance policy. Some ordinances may include within so many feet of something, kosher slaughter is not allowed because of such and such. Hope you catch my drift, for example some towns have ban dynamic engine braking.

1) You are allowed to bring your deceased animal (for own consumption, Not for Sale) to select processors. I offered that most require them to come in live, especially larger livestock.

2) The buyer may slaughter the animal on his farm from what I read that PA just follows Federal guidelines, except Mike cannot help in the process or transport the deceased animal to a processor.

3) If a third party on the buyers behalf slaughters the animal on the farm, it has to be an inspected facility (either mobile or permanent).

4) Liability Insurance is a wise idea. Some policies don't cover second parties involved, so fine print is important to read.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Vol said:


> I don't know if you have ever seen an animal die with its jugular cut.....but it is not a endearing sight. You better have your big boy pants on....and not look into the animals eyes if you want to rest easy that night. I have nothing against killing at all....but I believe in a swift end. Kosher is not swift enough in my eyes.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I asked a guy at work that's a big time hunter about it...He said "I have killed hundreds of deer but the worst thing I ever saw was a pig slaughtered that way. The thing screamed to no end."

Combine that with dealing with customers that English is their second language, and I think I will pass on this one.....sounds like one of the local butcher shops oughta get set up to slaughter Koser. Looks like there is a demand out there...


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## olschoolsteel (Mar 6, 2016)

Kosher butcher is not alot different than Halal butcher. While they are alike in method, they are different religions so it knowing which is which is helpful.

Vol is right, this method hearkens back to the way our grandparents, and great grandparents butchered out on the farm. If you arent accustomed to it, it can be hard on you. There is a trick to it I use on sheep and goats, just south of the jaw line, make your cut, and keep cutting to the spine, then stick the knife point in there to sever the spinal chord. All the while you are lifting up on the jaw with a fair amount of force. When you feel the neck snap, the body will go limp, and you have about a 10 minute period till it finishes dying and bleeding out. Done this many times, even for Native Americans, this is the only way to do it.

I know we are talking cattle in this thread. There is no way this can be done on a cow or steer without a pinch chute. It took me and my wife 3 hrs to wrestle a 450lb bull calf into a horse trailer. There is no way in hell I would try this on a cow that is fighting for its life.

But thats not to say it cant be done.

Like many in this thread have mentioned, its up to the state you live in whether or not your butcher is even allowed to take dead livestock in to cut for a customer. And since the time honored tradition of the community coming together with all the guys bringing their best knives to butcher and cut up a animal on the farm is a dead tradition, its probly more trouble than its worth.

A 22 long in the forehead is the sooo much easier.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

I know a old guy that would hit them in the head with a 4 pound hammer then cut their throat.


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