Meat selling laws

[aberreef]

I'm kind of toying with the idea of rearing and selling birds for meat. Quail is the first that comes to mind but I'm hoping to get some Rheas too so would eventually move on to these.

I know there are all sorts of rules and regulations governing this type of thing but I've got no idea about where to start on the journey to being legal. Are there any courses anyone could recomend to me please?

Thanks

Huw

 

[Frisbee]

It's generally the killing and preparing which would be what you mean....anyone can rear.

I suspect, but don't know for sure that Rhea's and the like would need to go to a licensed slaughterhouse, whereas Quail you could do yourself. Trading Standards would probably be your best starting point.

Frisbee

 

[Frisbee]

Adding to that.....Trading Standards/Health and Hygiene (usually the same man in a different hat) are there to help. Go to them first and find out what you need and comply to it. They will generally bend over backwards to help you trade. Setting up only needs doing correctly once. Do it wrong and it will need doing again.

Frisbee

 

[aberreef]

Thanks for that

I'll give trading standards a call in the week and see what they say. I want to do everything correctly so I can hopefully grow a small business to cover my costs. I have been sorting my own chickens and ducks for a while now (for my own use).

My first Quail are just piping in the incubator btw so I'll be a dad to another 40-50 youngsters tomorrow hopefully

 

[Baggyone]

If you want to sell the birds ready to go then you need a licence to slaughter. You can get it yourself quite easily. Talk to your local butchers as something special may well go down well. Remember that they want regular supplies not 50 one week and nothing for the next 6 weeks.

 

[Frisbee]

My first Quail are just piping in the incubator btw so I'll be a dad to another 40-50 youngsters tomorrow hopefully

Nice.......I've never had anything to do with quail apart from eat the odd egg I have 2 turkey hens sitting on eggs at the moment.

Frisbee

 

[aberreef]

Not quite as many as I'd hoped for but I'm the proud dad to 28 incy little quail with one more poorly one still in the incubator. They are so cute but they are the fastest little sods I've ever seen Last night Mrs Aberreef and I, fueled on home brew apple wine, were trying to count them without touching. The highest we got to was 18 before they all scattered

Frisbee, good luck with the turkeys. I was hoping to get some this year but haven't got anywhere to put them yet because of the need to keep them away from chickens. Maybe next year.

Fingers crossed and in 10 weeks time my new little uns will be laying their own eggs and the spare males in the freezer.

 

[oliver90owner]

A digi cam would be a good way to count them. One quick flash and count, from the pic, at your leisure. I presume, in this instance, you knew how many eggs you started with, so no real problem.

RAB

 

[Frisbee]

Frisbee, good luck with the turkeys. I was hoping to get some this year but haven't got anywhere to put them yet because of the need to keep them away from chickens. Maybe next year.

Mine have a separate house at night, but free range with the chickens. You just need to keep chickens wormed to avoid trouble with blackhead. I had 11 hatch last year, they are all in the freezer now.....well those which haven't been eaten are still in the freezer. A turkey isn't just for Christmas y'know

Frisbee

 

[Hombre]

And you all think that the sound of gobble, gobble is made by the turkeys.

No folks, it's the sound made by the small turkey farmer most weeks of the year as he gets to know his/her charges . . . pass the gravy please.

 

[biggles]

Hi
I keep rheas and this years chicks will be hatching in the next week if you want some give me a pm.

Pete

 

[suechick]

hello, i have been doing my own chickens for about 2 years. I raise and kill them myself but the law states that only I am allowed to eat them, so my OH gives me a hand and we are legal.
I am now raising Christmas geese but I will be taking them to a poultry abatoir as the job will be a lot more labour intensive and I am to sell and give them as Christmas gifts to friends, so I am looking for a good finish.
I think that you may need to check with Defra about the numbers of birds you have (50 limit for registration, keep it to 49 and you don't have to register) and slaughter laws and human consumption that is not your own.

Good luck.

 

[aberreef]

Hi
I keep rheas and this years chicks will be hatching in the next week if you want some give me a pm.

Pete

Hi, thanks. I've found some for sale locally but will definately keep you in mind to get unrelated birds for the future. Do you eat your Rheas? There doesn't seem to be any local abatoirs that deal with Ratites so I's have to deal with them myself which seems a bit daunting

hello, i have been doing my own chickens for about 2 years. I raise and kill them myself but the law states that only I am allowed to eat them, so my OH gives me a hand and we are legal.
I am now raising Christmas geese but I will be taking them to a poultry abatoir as the job will be a lot more labour intensive and I am to sell and give them as Christmas gifts to friends, so I am looking for a good finish.
I think that you may need to check with Defra about the numbers of birds you have (50 limit for registration, keep it to 49 and you don't have to register) and slaughter laws and human consumption that is not your own.

Good luck.

Would I be right in thinking that Defra registration would be free. If so then I don't mind registering, especially if I do go down the route of selling Quail for food. An abatoir would probably be a good idea for my Geese. My wife teaches in a rural area where her pupils often work during the pre-christmas period plucking Geese and Turkeys. I'm sure she could sort something out

 

[biggles]

Hi, thanks. I've found some for sale locally but will definately keep you in mind to get unrelated birds for the future. Do you eat your Rheas? There doesn't seem to be any local abatoirs that deal with Ratites so I's have to deal with them myself which seems a bit daunting

No I don't eat them just their eggs. Eggs sell from £25 to £50 each and now Supermarkets are starting to sell them, the quantities I sell might go up.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/10/turkey-eggs-uk-supermarket-debut