Title and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Slaughter of Poultry (Humane Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 and shall come into force on 5th July 1990.

Amendment

2. The Slaughter of Poultry (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1984(2) shall be amended as follows:-

(a)in regulation 3(1)(c) (scope) for the words beginning with "an experiment in" and ending with "so imposed" there shall be substituted the words "a procedure duly authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986"(3);

(b)in regulation 4 (requirements prior to slaughter) after the words "any bird awaiting slaughter" there shall be inserted the words "(whether by handling such a bird in a manner which causes such pain or distress or in any other way)";

(c)after regulation 5 there shall be inserted the following regulation-

"5A. The occupier or person in charge of any premises at which birds are offered or exposed for sale prior to being slaughtered there shall ensure that, on arrival at the premises, the birds are forthwith-

(i)placed in accommodation in which they are able, without difficulty, to stand upright, turn round and stretch their wings; and

(ii)provided with a sufficient supply of wholesome food and clean drinking water.";

(d)for regulations 9 and 10 (requirements as to slaughter) there shall be substituted the following regulations-

"9. No person shall suspend, or cause or permit to be suspended, any turkey kept in captivity or any other bird so kept for more than 6 minutes in the case of a turkey, or for more than 3 minutes in the case of any other bird before such turkey or other bird is slaughtered or is stunned by means of an approved instrument for the purpose of slaughter.

10. No person shall cause or permit any turkey kept in captivity or any other bird so kept which has had severed one or more of the major blood vessels of its neck to be immersed in a scalding tank or to be plucked before a period of not less than 2 minutes in the case of a turkey or of not less than 90 seconds in the case of any other bird has elapsed after such severance."; and

(e)after regulation 10 there shall be inserted the following regulation-

"10A. Any person engaged in slaughtering any birds in accordance with the provisions of section 1(2) of the Slaughter of Poultry Act 1967 (exemption for slaughter by the Jewish or Muslim method) shall-

(a)ensure that each bird is slaughtered by the severance, by rapid, uninterrupted movements of a knife, of its carotid arteries; and

(b)ensure that the knife to be used for slaughtering the birds is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness so as to enable each bird to be slaughtered in the manner described in sub-paragraph (a) above."

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Slaughter of Poultry (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1984. The changes of substance made to the 1984 Regulations are the inclusion of-

(1) a requirement that the occupier or person in charge of any premises at which birds are offered or exposed for sale prior to being slaughtered there shall ensure that, on arrival at the premises, the birds are placed in accommodation in which they are able to stand upright, turn round and stretch their wings and are provided with a sufficient supply of wholesome food and clean drinking water (regulation 2 (c));

(2) a provision extending the requirements in the 1984 Regulations relating to the maximum periods during which birds may be suspended before being slaughtered or stunned so that they now apply to guinea-fowl, ducks, geese and quails kept in captivity as well as to turkeys and domestic fowls so kept (regulation 2(d));

(3) a provision extending the prohibition in the 1984 Regulations on the immersion in a scalding tank or the plucking of birds before minimum periods have elapsed following the severance of one or more of the major blood vessels of the neck so that it now applies to guinea-fowl, ducks, geese and quails kept in captivity as well as to turkeys and domestic fowl so kept (regulation 2 (d)); and

(4) a requirement that any person who slaughters birds by the Jewish or Muslim method shall ensure that each bird is slaughtered by the severance, by rapid, uninterrupted movements of a knife, of its carotid arteries and that the knife to be used for slaughtering the birds is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness so as to enable each bird to slaughtered in such a manner (regulation 2(e)).