Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Animal Products Act 1999

Homekill and recreational catch

67: Homekill allowed

You could also call this:

"Killing your own animal on your property for food is allowed under certain rules"

You can kill an animal you own on your own property for your own use. You can also get a listed homekill or recreational catch service provider to kill or process the animal on their premises or your property. This is allowed as long as the meat is for you and your family to eat, not for selling.

If you are a farmer, you can give the meat to an employee who works for you. You can also trade some parts of the animal, like the skin or bones, as long as they are not for eating. You can sell these parts to a renderer, which is a company that turns animal products into other things, as long as you follow the rules set by the Director-General under section 167(1).

Sometimes you might need to kill an animal in a different place or have someone else do it, and this can still be considered homekill. This can happen if the animal needs to be killed for humane reasons, like if it is very sick or hurt. As long as you follow the other rules, the meat can still be for you and your family to eat.

When we talk about your own property, we mean land that you own, lease, or have the right to use. You need to be using this land for farming or similar activities.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM34880.

Previous

66: Object of this Part, or

"What this part of the law is about: keeping homekill and recreational catch separate and safe"

Next

68: Processing of recreational catch, or

"Rules for handling animals you hunt or catch for fun"

Part 6Homekill and recreational catch

67Homekill allowed

  1. Nothing in this Act prevents an animal owner from—

  2. killing or processing the animal himself or herself on his or her own property; or
    1. in the case of an animal owner who has been actively engaged in the day-to-day maintenance of the animal, or of other animals of the same kind, for a period of at least 28 days immediately preceding the killing of the animal, having the animal killed or processed, otherwise than in accordance with Parts 2 to 4, by a listed homekill or recreational catch service provider on the service provider's premises or place or the animal owner's own property,—
        1. so long as the resulting homekill product is for the use or consumption of the animal owner (including his or her family or household), and not for trade; and Parts 2 to 4 do not apply to any such homekill.

      1. For the purposes of subsection (1), homekill product will be treated as being for the use or consumption of the owner, and not for trade, if—

      2. in the case of an animal belonging to a farmer, the farmer supplies the homekill product to an employee of the farmer who is employed in an ongoing manner in the farmer's daily farming operations, for the use or consumption of that employee (including his or her family or household); or
        1. the edible part of the homekill product is for the use or consumption of the owner (or the owner's family, household, or farm employee), and the only parts of the homekill product that are traded—
          1. are not for human or animal consumption; or
            1. are sold or disposed of to a renderer in accordance with any conditions imposed by the Director-General by notice under section 167(1).

            2. Despite subsection (1), animal product from an animal that is killed at a location other than the animal owner's own property or a listed service provider's premises or place, or by a person other than the owner or a listed service provider, may nevertheless be treated as homekill product if—

            3. humane reasons necessitated the killing of the animal at that other location or by that other person; and
              1. the other requirements of this section are otherwise met in relation to the animal and material derived from the animal (except to the extent that any immediately associated processing is required at the location of the killing).

                1. In this section, own property, in relation to an animal owner, means land which the owner—

                2. owns or leases; or
                  1. has a legal right to occupy or use, and does in fact occupy, or use to conduct farming or similar operations.

                    Notes
                    • Section 67(1): substituted, on , by section 30(1) of the Animal Products Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 29).
                    • Section 67(2)(b): substituted, on , by section 30(2) of the Animal Products Amendment Act 2002 (2002 No 29).
                    • Section 67(2)(b)(ii): amended, on , by section 115 of the Food Safety Law Reform Act 2018 (2018 No 3).