Can I slaughter my own animals to feed my family?
Yes, provided you comply with on of the following options.
Option 1
Producers can slaughter animals and process the carcasses on the farm at any time of the year and are exempt from the Meat Regulations, provided all the following conditions are met:
* The animals must be slaughtered for consumption by the producer or the producer's immediate family only,
* The slaughter must be performed on the producer's premises by the producer or a certified examiner; and;
* The meat must be consumed only by the producer or the producer's immediate family on the producer's premises.
The meat from an animal slaughtered under this option cannot be sold, delivered, distributed, or transported off the farm under any circumstances.
Am I allowed to hire a butcher to come to my farm and do the cutting and wrapping on site for me?
A producer exempt from the Meat Regulations, who meets all criteria described above, is not prohibited from hiring the services of a butcher to conduct cutting and wrapping activities on the farm where the animal was slaughtered. The meat cannot be sold, delivered, distributed, or transported off the farm under any circumstance.
Option 2
Cattle and swine producers who want to slaughter healthy animals on their farm and have the carcasses processed off the farm may engage in the Non-Emergency slaughter provisions in O. Reg 31/05 under the Food Safety and Quality Act 2001, provided the following conditions are met:
* Only cattle under 30 months of age (UTM) and pigs are eligible to enter a meat plant under this provision;
* An examiner certified for non-emergency, on-farm slaughter may provide stunning, slaughter and dressing services and must perform ante mortem and post mortem examinations;
* Carcasses and products can only be transported to and from a provincially licenced meat plant;
* Provincially licenced meat plants must be approved to process on-farm slaughtered carcasses and are only allowed to accept them up to a total of 16 weeks per year: a maximum of four weeks during the spring period (March 1 to April 30) and a maximum of 12 weeks during the fall period (September 1 to December 31);
* Processing of products are limited by the regulation, to cutting, grinding, wrapping and/or freezing of beef or pork, and processing ham, bacon or sausage from pork only.
* The products can only be consumed by the producer and their immediate family on the premises where the animal was slaughtered; and
* Products cannot be sold, shared, donated or distributed.
