Home Slaughter

Home slaughter is the slaughter of animals outside of commercial slaughter facilities, whereby the meat may be used exclusively within the animal owner’s own household.

Anyone who slaughters animals must have the necessary knowledge and skills to do so.

In the case of home slaughter, an application for an official ante-mortem inspection of ungulates kept as pets or farmed game is submitted only if if the animal owner has observed, immediately prior to the intended slaughter, an impairment of the animal’s general well-being that is not attributable to an accident that occurred immediately beforehand.

Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and other even-toed ungulates, as well as horses and other odd-toed ungulates, are subject to official meat inspection—which must also be conducted in the case of home slaughter—provided their meat is intended for human consumption. For rabbits, these inspections may be omitted if no characteristics are found that would make the meat appear unsafe for human consumption. Game from enclosures must also undergo ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections.