Booking private kill: questions to ask the abattoir

Updated 2 November 2026

To book private kill, contact an abattoir that takes your species and agree the kill day, how and when to deliver, the paperwork, how long the carcase hangs, who cuts it, what it costs and what you get back. Small abattoirs can be booked up weeks ahead, especially in autumn, so ask early. These are the questions to ask.

Before you contact the abattoir

Have these to hand, because the abattoir will ask:

• the species, how many, the breed, and their age or rough weight
• your CPH number and herd or flock mark
• the dates that suit you, and how flexible you are
• whether you need the meat cut, and whether you’ll sell any of it

Not every abattoir does private kill, and some only take regular customers. The finder and the county list show which abattoirs near you take your species.

Which animals, which days

• Do you do private kill for my species, and on which days? Ask how often they kill it, too.
• Will you take a single animal, and how many can you take at once?
• Is there a weight or age limit? Some abattoirs won’t take very heavy pigs, or charge more above a set weight. Older sheep and goats sometimes cost more too.

How far ahead to book

It varies a lot. Some abattoirs can fit you in within a week or two; others are booked for weeks or months. In May 2025 the Farmers’ Union of Wales said Welsh farmers had to book several weeks ahead to be sure of a slot. In a 2025 survey of 850 abattoir users, a quarter said their abattoir was too busy or fully booked.

The busiest times are:

• autumn and the run-up to Christmas
• around Eid al-Adha for sheep and goats at some abattoirs, expected around 16 May in 2027, depending on the moon

Book a provisional slot when you buy your weaners or lambs and confirm it nearer the time. If they’re full, ask to go on a cancellation list.

Delivery, lairage and transport

• What time should I arrive, and where do I unload?
• Can I bring them the evening before? If so, animals in the lairage must have water at all times, and any not killed within 12 hours of arriving must be fed and given bedding (Regulation 1099/2009, Annex III). Ask whether there’s a charge.
• Can you collect them? Some abattoirs run their own haulage, for a fee.
• How far is it? If you’re a farmer moving your own animals in your own vehicle less than 50 km from your holding, only the basic welfare rules apply, such as the animals being fit to travel (Regulation 1/2005, Article 1). Over 65 km (about 40 miles), you need a transporter authorisation and a certificate of competence (GOV.UK). In between, carry a written record of the journey.

Paperwork

Sources: Defra, Welsh Government, GOV.UK sheep and goats, AML1, eAML2.

• Food chain information (FCI) is needed for every animal: a declaration about its health, its medicines and whether your holding is under restrictions. For animals other than poultry, the FSA lets FCI arrive with the animals, but if the abattoir doesn’t have it within 24 hours of arrival, the meat is declared unfit (FSA Manual for Official Controls, chapter 2.1). Ask whether they want it in advance.
• Tags and passports must be right. Cattle without the correct passport and ear tags can be turned away (GOV.UK).
• Medicines: check every withdrawal period has finished before the kill date.
• Restrictions: tell the abattoir if your holding is under TB or bluetongue restrictions. Cattle from a TB-restricted herd can still go to slaughter under licence, but an official vet must be there when they’re killed, so not every small abattoir can take them. For bluetongue, check the latest situation before you move animals, especially between England and Wales.

Hanging, and when the meat is ready

• How long do you hang beef, lamb and pork, and do you charge by the day? Some abattoirs also set a maximum. See how long to hang meat.
• When will pork be released? Pigs that weren’t reared in officially controlled housing, as recorded on the food chain information, are tested for the Trichinella parasite. No meat can leave the abattoir until the result is negative (FSA Manual for Official Controls, chapter 2.4), so ask how long that adds.

Cutting: in-house or a butcher

• Do you cut and pack, or do I need my own butcher?
• If you don’t cut, will you deliver the carcase to a butcher, or can I collect it? You’ll need a way to keep it cold.
• What extras do you offer? Sausages, burgers, bacon curing, vacuum packing and labels vary from one abattoir to the next.
• How do you want the cutting instructions? On their form, by email or by phone. Our guide to cutting lists shows what to put on it.

Prices: what’s included

Ask for the price per animal in writing, and check what it covers:

• the kill fee, and any extra for older sheep or heavy pigs
• hanging, if it’s charged by the day
• cutting and packing, per animal or per kg, and whether vacuum packing is extra
• sausages, burgers and curing, often charged per kg
• labels and delivery
• whether prices include VAT

To compare, see our guide to private kill prices.

What comes back

• Offal: say which you want, such as liver, heart and kidneys, and ask when it must be collected. It doesn’t keep as long as the carcase.
• Heads: the skull of cattle over 12 months, and of sheep and goats over 12 months or with a permanent incisor through, is specified risk material and is destroyed (FSA Manual for Official Controls, chapter 2.7). Ask whether you can have a pig’s or lamb’s head.
• Skins and hides: ask whether you can have them back. To take one home, you must first register with APHA on form AB117 (GOV.UK).
• Blood: if you want it for black pudding, ask well ahead, as it needs special handling.
• Bone-in beef from older cattle: since Great Britain was recognised as negligible risk for BSE in 2025, the backbone of cattle over 30 months born and reared here is no longer specified risk material, so ask for T-bones if you want them.

Labels if you’re selling

If any of the meat will be sold, say so when you book. Beef sold to the public needs compulsory beef labelling: where the animal was born, reared, slaughtered and cut, with a reference number and, for packed beef, the slaughterhouse and cutting plant licence numbers. Pre-packed lamb, pork and goat must show where the animal was reared and slaughtered (GOV.UK). Ask whether they can print labels and what that costs. Our guide to selling your own meat covers registration and the rest.

Collection and payment

• When will it be ready, and when can I collect?
• How long will you keep it if I’m held up?
• Do you deliver, and what does it cost?
• When and how do you want paying? Some abattoirs want payment before the meat is released.

Bring cool boxes or a chilled vehicle, and get the meat into a fridge or freezer quickly.

Send it all in one enquiry

Every listing on Lairage has a “Send an enquiry” form that asks for exactly these details: what you’re bringing and how many, the breed and age or weight, what you need (slaughter, hanging, cutting, mince or sausages, vacuum packing, labels, collection or delivery), the cuts you’d like, your dates, how the animals will get there, whether your paperwork is ready and whether you’ll sell the meat. You confirm it by email, we pass it to the abattoir, and they reply to you directly. Find an abattoir near you with the finder.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ between England and Wales and change over time, so check with your abattoir, vet or local council if you're unsure.