Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Additional requirements relating to lairages other than field lairages

3.  The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard to which animals are delivered other than in containers shall ensure that—

(a) the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard is equipped with a sufficient number of pens for adequate lairaging of the animals with protection from the effects of adverse weather conditions;

(b) any lairage has—

(i) a floor which minimises the risk of slipping and which does not cause injury to any animal which is in contact with it;

(ii) adequate ventilation to ensure that temperature, air relative humidity and ammonia levels are kept within limits that are not harmful to any animal, taking into account the extremes of temperature and humidity which may be expected;

(iii) where such ventilation is provided other than naturally, a replacement means of maintaining adequate ventilation available for use if the original source of ventilation fails;

(iv) adequate lighting (whether fixed or portable) available to enable the animals to be thoroughly inspected at any time;

(v) where necessary, suitable equipment for tethering animals; and

(vi) drinking facilities and racks, mangers or other equipment adequate in number and size for the watering and feeding of all animals confined in the lairage, fixed where practicable, and so constructed and placed that they are easily accessible to all the animals, can readily be filled and cannot readily be fouled; and

(c) where the lairage is one in which any horses are confined, the lairage contains at least one loose box which is so constructed as to minimise the danger of any horse injuring itself or any other animal confined in that lairage.