livestock dispatch

[CharlieT]

As a farmer I have to occasionally shoot farm stock. Although I have used everything from a .22lr to a 12bore, my preferred choice is a .410 shotgun. A 410 will deal with anything you are likely to come across, the important thing is knowing where the brain is and where to aim.

 

For those that say their fac covers them, remember not to confuse the expanding ammo conditions with your firearms condition which will state what you can lawfully shoot. Unless you specifically request it standard conditions do not cover the humane killing of animals, if you wish to use your firearms for this purpose you should request the specific, separate condition which states "The firearms and ammunition shall also be used in connection with the humane killing of animals".

 

When you shoot a large beast in a shed or crush just remember that you will have to get the carcase out, not easy and sometimes impossible. In the past, where the animal is down and can't walk, I've had to chop them up to get them out !

 

Horses are the most difficult as they are taller and to get the gun in the correct position is difficult, particularly with a rifle or shotgun and it's the only animal Iwould use a pistol on for this very reason.

 

If you are asked to shoot a farm animal expect the farmer to be present and under such circumstances it's not a job you want to mess up. Better to leave it to someone qualified, after all most stock farmers will have a shotgun or if not the phone number of their knackerman or vet.

 

For safety reasons it is always preferable to fire into the brain towards the neck so that the shot/bullet is going in a safe direction.

 

As has been said............check your insurance.

[scotslad]

I probably should add the boy's i know that have done it have decades off stalking shooting exp behind them and still thought long and hard about it.

 

Also when i said they found a safe place to shoot from i also meant for them physically if it went wrong not just backstops, ie inside a heavy feed trailer, high seat, behind a big stone wall etc. Know off 1 lad who was shooting multiple bullocks when last one charged at him, he dropped it but probably a fair bit off luck involved

[pestcontrol1]

I should have said, I have no bother with anatomy, shot placement or whatever. I was just curious what most people would suggest with regards to dispatch within a barn or field situation. I thought most people would pick a shotgun. Just a tad surprised about a .410 !

You will be supprised what a 410 will kill especialy at a couple of yrds

[al4x]

Effectively you are using a slug close up the energy levels are huge

[wildfowler.250]

I have heard of folk using a .410 but does it offer many advantages over a 12?

 

I have also 'heard' people say that at close range the shot size isn't important because it acts like a slug. Would still prefer my 42g 3's to say a size 6 though.

[Scully]

Landowner uses his .22lr for sheep and .410(very close) for anything bigger.As Al4x says,forming a cross between eyes and ears is where you want to be on a cow.

[Zulu]

Shot a few bulls and had the choice of 12g slug or .458WM and used the rifle each time as I was more confident delivering the round in the right spot at distances up to 50 yds which was very effective .

[Catweazle]

I was under the impression that you had to be a licensed slaughterman to slaughter anything other than your own animals. Obviously humane despatch is a different case, but just culling a few animals for the farmer could land you in hot water.

 

Edit to add link:

 

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/glos/bus1item.cgi?file=*BADV693-1001.txt

 

 

 

Do I need a slaughter licence?

A slaughter licence is not needed when:

• slaughtering your own animal for your own consumption
• using a licensed free bullet weapon (the firearm certificate must state the species you intend to kill)

A slaughter licence is needed when:

• you kill animals for other people
• using a captive-bolt instrument, unless it is an emergency

Edited April 11, 2013 by Catweazle

[TJ91]

I have put a large cow and a very large boar out of their misery with a 410

1shot in the right place, job done

 

I work on a pig farm now and we use a 'tube' that fires a blank which pushes a 'bolt' straight into the head(brain)... The bolt is about the size of the shot in a 410 case so basically the same as using 410

[happypig]

.

Edited April 11, 2013 by happypig

[highseas]

I wouldnt try a .22lr.

 

A 22-250 will not do the job on a full grown cow, not sure on 270 as aint got one.

 

shotgun would be my choice out of the 3 mentioned.

 

 

Think about where you do it as you need access to remove the thing.

what! a 22-250 wont fettal a cow? ive shot plenty over the years and I have humane dispatch on my fac ive shot cows with everything from a 357 lever action to a .270 if its donr right it very humane,only done a couple of horses but as its been said get a bit of training first from some one who knows how too. and a shotgun is very good for cows in buildings even with small shot its a lot safer than a fullbore rifle

[al4x]

I was under the impression that you had to be a licensed slaughterman to slaughter anything other than your own animals. Obviously humane despatch is a different case, but just culling a few animals for the farmer could land you in hot water.

 

Edit to add link:

 

http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/cgi-bin/glos/bus1item.cgi?file=*BADV693-1001.txt

 

 

What's a licensed free bullet gun if its not what you hold on a sgc or fac hence legal and no slaughter license required according to your post

[Catweazle]

What's a licensed free bullet gun if its not what you hold on a sgc or fac hence legal and no slaughter license required according to your post

 

What's your interpretation of the link ?

 

This bit in particular:

 

 

A slaughter licence is needed when:

• you kill animals for other people

[CharlieT]

Let's all remember that the term slaughter refers to killing animals for food consumption, whereas humane killing refers to killing animals because they are sick or injured.

 

The OP is talking about humane killing therefore the rules that apply to slaughter do not apply.

[ordnance]

In my opinion if the farmer is to tight to get a vet i would let him do it himself. I wouldn't be doing it for him.

[fabarm gamma boy]

I wouldnt try a .22lr.

 

A 22-250 will not do the job on a full grown cow, not sure on 270 as aint got one.

 

shotgun would be my choice out of the 3 mentioned.

 

 

Think about where you do it as you need access to remove the thing.

i disagree, reason being my mate was a shooter for defra during foot and mouth, he was shooting cows stone dead with his 223 not that close either! Thats honest truth!

 

i do agree that shotgun would be a good choice!

Edited April 12, 2013 by fabarm gamma boy

[Vince Green]

My first rule on these matters, don't get involved. If its your cow that might be different but in life you should never walk towards a potential problem.

 

Also when I was a lad I saw a cow shot between the eyes with a .22 rifle held to its head and it went down like a sack of spuds.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Vince Green

[kyska]

The Humane Slaughter Association recommends a shotgun, I'm a licensed slaughterman so I also use a captive bolt, but it must be remembered that they are a tool for stunning, not killing.

 

A shotgun is the tool for the job, 2 or 3 feet away, but as so many have said, different species, or species that are horned or not, have different shot areas.

 

Best to see someone/be shown by someone experienced first.

[wildfowler.250]

Firstly, thank you very much for all the replies. I've been reading most of them whilst on my phone which makes replying to individual responses much more difficult,(but thanks for all of them none the less).

 

I believe I've gained enough info from this to handle a situation appropriately when it next arises.

 

Cheers

[CharlieT]

i disagree, reason being my mate was a shooter for defra during foot and mouth, he was shooting cows stone dead with his 223 not that close either! Thats honest truth!

 

i do agree that shotgun would be a good choice!

Yes, I to saw some disgusting gung ho behaviour during that debacle, where clips of ammo from unsuitable calibers were emptied into the poor beasts.

 

Had anyone treated my cows in such a way I would have wrapped their rifle round their neck !

 

I hope your friend is proud of himself.

[Blackbart]

i disagree, reason being my mate was a shooter for defra during foot and mouth, he was shooting cows stone dead with his 223 not that close either! Thats honest truth!

 

i do agree that shotgun would be a good choice!

 

A 223 "COULD" kill a cow but i would have rather done it properly with something i knew was going to do it and do it with one shot.

 

As charlie said, we wouldnt have been very popular with the farmers we collected stock off if we had to shoot something multiple times ,cos a mate said this or that gun would work.

 

 

TBH i would not get involved with the killing of any farm animals now unless it was a case of being there and something happened that resulted in an animal suffering from an injury that it was going to die from anyway. If someone has the time to call you then they have the time to call a vet !

[ordnance]

I don't understand why someone would shoot a animal for a farmer and i have being asked. Most farmers have shotguns let them shoot the animal themselves or get a vet to do it.I woldent ask a farmer to fix my car because he had a spanner so why would he expect me to shoot a animal because i have a firearm. And if you have to ask the question where to shoot a animal or what caliber to use you shouldn't be doing it. PS Unless a animal was injured and waiting for a vet would prolong the suffering.

[al4x]

PS Unless a animal was injured and waiting for a vet would prolong the suffering.

 

this is usually a given in the instance, plus vets don't usually carry the means to put down say a mobile bullock with a broken leg so its a further wait for the knackerman.

[wildfowler.250]

I don't understand why someone would shoot a animal for a farmer and i have being asked. Most farmers have shotguns let them shoot the animal themselves or get a vet to do it.I woldent ask a farmer to fix my car because he had a spanner so why would he expect me to shoot a animal because i have a firearm. And if you have to ask the question where to shoot a animal or what caliber to use you shouldn't be doing it. PS Unless a animal was injured and waiting for a vet would prolong the suffering.

don't understand why someone would shoot a animal for a farmer and i have being asked. Most farmers have shotguns let them shoot the animal themselves or get a vet to do it.I woldent ask a farmer to fix my car because he had a spanner so why would he expect me to shoot a animal because i have a firearm. And if you have to ask the question where to shoot a animal or what caliber to use you shouldn't be doing it. PS Unless a animal was injured and waiting for a vet would prolong the suffering.

Well a farmer I know well can't even dispatch a lamb because he's too soft,(not that easy to do if you've been nursing one for a week in your kitchen and its not going to make it). And he's a shooting man.

 

PS, now I know which caliber is best. So does that mean I should be doing it? It's not the best logic..

Edited April 12, 2013 by wildfowler.250

[ordnance]

PS, now I know which caliber is best. So does that mean I should be doing it? It's not the best logic

That's fair enough. In my experience when it comes to farmers its money and not sentiment that rules when making that type of decisions.