Confinement
Animals must be kept in suitable pens that are well maintained and free of debris and potentially harmful objects. The confinement space must big enough to allow for adequate movement, shelter and ventilation.
Water must be provided at all times and animals kept longer than 24 hours must be fed timeously.
Larger pens must have multiple watering and feeding points to allow for ease of access.
Several smaller pens are preferable to one large pen as this minimizes stress associated with chasing animals.Handling
Poking, prodding, chasing animals, dragging them by the legs, horns or by a rope is totally unacceptable. Neither should the animal be picked up by the fleece/wool.Restraining the animal
Proper restraint facilities should be provided so that the animals can be roped in the pre-stun box, restrained, cast and cut – without any chasing or dragging.Restraining an animal properly allows for the swift slaughter and reduces suffering.
Animals should be laid on their sides and not on their backs to avoid discomfort and distress.
The animal should not be made to kneel or stand during slaughter.
It is improper to twist the tail or drag an animal.
Animals should only be restrained prior to slaughter and should not be kept in that position for longer than necessary.
Overcrowding
Over-crowding the slaughter areas increases the stress levels of cattle.
A stressed animal can become dangerous to handle!
Slaughter
The knife used to slaughter must be extremely sharp to make the slaughtering as humane as possible.
Slaughterers must at all times ensure that the knife is sharpened after every slaughter.
Knives must also be of adequate length i.e.: for cattle it must be a minimum 250mm long and for a goat or sheep it must be 180mm long.
The knife used for slaughtering should not be the same knife used for dressing the animal.
Animals should not be made to see the knife.
Slaughter should be done by a maximum of three swift cuts of the major blood vessels of the neck.
Slaughter should be done out of the view of other animals.
All blood must be washed away and carcasses must be removed before the next animal is brought to be slaughtered.
Blood must be washed away or covered with soil after each animal is slaughtered.
People slaughtering must be competent and confident enough to slaughter. A scared or uncertain slaughterer may increase the pain of the animal or may even leave the animal half slaughtered which can be extremely dangerous.
Bleed-out Times
The animal should be allowed to bleed out allowing the legs and body to kick and move so as to allow the blood to drain.
The animal should only be removed for dressing (skinning and cleaning) once it is completely dead.
The meat Safety Animals Act stipulates 8 minutes for cattle and 6 minutes for smaller livestock.
Separation of Species
Species are often mixed during transportation and in holding areas. Irritable animals must be separated from the rest.
Meat Hygiene
The process of slaughtering and dressing should be as clean as possible.
Knives should be washed with hot water.
Animals should be completely dead before skinning commences.
Areas for slaughtering and dressing should be washed throughout the process.
Carcasses must be washed with a high-pressure hose or hose pipes to remove contamination and then should be chilled as soon as possible.
If no chilling facility is available, arrange to take the meat to a butcher or cold storage facility.
Failure to adhere to these basic hygiene guidelines can result in meat spoilage and can cause food poisoning.
Offal and hides can be donated to the poor and needy and should not be buried.
We trust you will endeavour to treat animals meant for Qurbani as humanely as possible. Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayi wasallam was not only sent as a mercy to Mankind but as a blessing to all creatures. His advice regarding the treatment of animals must serve as our guidance. He said: “Allah has ordained kindness (and excellence) in everything. If the killing (of animals) is to be done, do it in the best manner, and when you slaughter, do it in the best manner by first sharpening the knife, and putting the animal at ease.” (Muslim) |
