Poultry welfare at slaughter and fallen stock
The welfare of animals at the time of slaughter or killing is covered by EU directive 93/119 and UK regulations. These rules state that animals must never be submitted to any avoidable stress, pain or suffering, and must be handled, stunned and killed using specific methods by licensed slaughtermen.
There are special arrangements when specific slaughter methods are used for religious purposes - ie the halal or kosher killing of chickens. Religious slaughter can only take place in an approved slaughterhouse. You can find clarification on slaughtering animals under Islamic law on the Defra website.
The welfare requirements also apply to on-farm slaughter - although an owner killing an animal for private consumption does not need a slaughter licence.
For more information, see the guide on farmed animal welfare at slaughter.