Busy week so far on and off the smallholding. Tuesday was an early start to take two of last year's lambs to the abattoir. Such trips always involve an early start. The steady closure of small scale abattoirs has meant we have had to make several changes over the years. We are now using a family butcher with a small abattoir attached in Hertfordshire, 50 minutes drive away. Here we know the animals will be treated well and expeditiously with no lengthy waits in holding pens. These were common in many towns and villages at one time but they are harder to find now.
There is quite a lot of regulation involved, whether you are a smallholder with a few animals or a large livestock farmer with a consignment of 100. There are transport and trailer requirements, the all-important animal Movement Licence to complete, trailer and vehicle washout regulations and the requirement for a DEFRA appointed vet to inspect the animals when unloading. The abattoir and butcher, of course, have their own extensive legal requirements to adhere to as well. This all contributes to assuring both animal welfare and food safety.
The UK has high standards in this area of food production. Hence the concern about trade deals that in return allow food imports from countries where standards are much lower. In the end you pay for what you get.
