Non-amenable animal species that are difficult to load, transport and handle can be killed
directly on-farm. This is typically limited to buffalo, bison and some cervids (deer and elk).
However if the farmer is having the animals processed at a USDA inspected establishment, the
livestock must be presented alive for USDA inspection. Animals entering the USDA voluntary
inspection program must submit a request for field harvest and receive approval before
commencement AND the ante-mortem inspection must be performed by a USDA inspector in
the field. Without an ante-mortem field inspection the non-amenable animal will not be eligible
for USDA post-mortem inspection. They can also be taken to a 5-A facility for processing.
Either option will allow a farmer to market his product.
For animals entering commerce through either USDA or 5-A inspection, a veterinarian must be
on the farm premise when the animal is slaughtered to confirm that it is not sick.
Both USDA and New York State regulations state that a farm must designate an area for field
harvesting from which a licensed veterinarian can observe the animal prior to dispatch. The
veterinarian must be on site when the animal is dispatched. The animal may be bled out on
premise (but not eviscerated) and then be transported to a USDA or 5-A slaughterhouse for
processing on that day. (New York State recommends within 2 hours but understands that some
farmers may travel a distance slightly longer than this.) The field-harvested animal must be
accompanied to the 5-A slaughterhouse by a veterinarian-signed certificate of health or a veterinarian-signed ante-mortem report. For USDA inspection a USDA employee must sign the
certificate of health or ante-mortem report.
If a live animal of an amenable species (cattle, sheep, goat, swine) will be sold directly to a
consumer (i.e. “freezer trade”), that animal may be field harvested before transporting it to a
custom exempt facility. If a farmer seeks to sell individual cuts of an amenable species, that
animal must be presented for inspection at a USDA-inspected slaughterhouse; therefore, no field
harvesting provisions are applicable.
There are special provisions for emergency slaughter of amenable species, with the exception of
cattle (which can never be field harvested for USDA inspection under any circumstance). 9 CFR
311.27, entitled “Injured animals slaughtered at unusual hours,” states the following90:
When it is necessary for humane reasons to slaughter an injured animal at night or on
Sunday or a holiday when the inspector cannot be obtained, the carcass and all parts of all
livestock except for cattle shall be kept for inspection, with the head and all viscera
except the stomach, bladder, and intestines held by the natural attachments. If all parts are
not so kept for inspection, the carcass shall be condemned. If, on inspection of a carcass
slaughtered in the absence of an inspector, any lesion or other evidence is found
indicating that the animal was sick or diseased, or affected with any other condition
requiring condemnation of the animal on ante-mortem inspection, or if there is lacking
evidence of the condition which rendered emergency slaughter necessary, the carcass
shall be condemned. The parts and carcasses of cattle slaughtered in the absence of an
inspector shall not be used for human food.
