Okla. Admin. Code § 35:37-11-91

Current through Vol. 42, No. 8, January 2, 2025

Section 35:37-11-91 - Humane slaughter requirements for mobile slaughter establishments

(a) It shall be required that all exotic livestock offered for slaughter at official mobile slaughtering establishments be stunned or killed in a humane manner with no undue distress or pain to the animal.

(b) The minimum acceptable results of the killing or stunning of exotic livestock shall in all cases be complete unconsciousness and surgical anesthesia of the animal before it is thrown, cast, or cut.

(c) It is understood that the stunning and killing of exotic livestock at official mobile slaughter establishments is generally done with firearms, Therefore, the individual performing this task must be highly competent and skilled in performing any stunning or killing of exotic livestock.

(d) All firearms employed for the purpose of stunning or killing exotic livestock shall have sufficient power to discharge a projectile, whether factory loaded or a specially fabricated handload; of sufficient caliber, sufficient weight, and having sufficient mass and sectional density, with sufficient velocity, penetration, and resulting terminal energy; to consistently deliver complete unconsciousness with resulting surgical anesthesia or death to the animal with one shot. It is therefore recognized that small bore rimfire firearms are generally unacceptable for this task unless special permission for the use of these firearms is granted by the Director on an individual basis after due consideration of the shooting distances and of the species involved.

(e) Furthermore, the projectile shall be delivered into the animal's brain or cervical portion of the spinal column only. This is necessary to insure that gross destruction does not occur to other internal organs that are required to be inspected for proper postmortem disposition of the carcass.

(f) If the operator of the official mobile slaughtering establishment fails to meet any of the requirements of this Section, inspection services shall be immediately suspended by the inspector in charge until all requirements of this Section are complied with.

Okla. Admin. Code § 35:37-11-91

Added at 21 Ok Reg 1181, eff 5-27-04