Having own animals farm

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 8:34 pm

Hei,

I would like to ask what is the low/policy in Finland if you want to have your own animals like: chickens, sheeps, pigs, cows and so forth for own consumption?

Let's assume I will buy a small farm somewhere in the country side and want to have some animals, do I need some special permit to buy/own my own animals or I just go and buy them and that's it?

Thanks!

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Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 10:45 pm

It depends.

We had to register for our bees. That's a rule in Finland. We also registered for our sheep, but that's because we sell them commercially.

If the animals are for your own consumption then I guess no one will know if they are tagged or not (eg sheep, pigs, cows) but you won't be able to use a commercial slaughter house. You also won't be able to apply for any subsidies.

Even if you are not registered, you still have to comply with the Acts on livestock (animal cruelty etc)

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:30 pm

Rosamunda wrote:It depends.

We had to register for our bees. That's a rule in Finland. We also registered for our sheep, but that's because we sell them commercially.

If the animals are for your own consumption then I guess no one will know if they are tagged or not (eg sheep, pigs, cows) but you won't be able to use a commercial slaughter house. You also won't be able to apply for any subsidies.

Even if you are not registered, you still have to comply with the Acts on livestock (animal cruelty etc)

Thank you for your replay.

Still some questions:
- register them where?
- is there a fee?
- do you pay taxes on animals?
- do you mean that when you want to kill a chicken or pig you need to go to a commercial slaughter house? I cannot do that by myself?
- what do you mean by subsidies? Do you get some money or ... ?

Kiitos!

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 7:37 am

We also registered for our sheep, but that's because we sell them commercially.

Nowadays you have to register them also if you don't sell them.

do you mean that when you want to kill a chicken or pig you need to go to a commercial slaughter house? I cannot do that by myself?

I doubt if a commercial slaughterhouse will accept your chickens. For pigs, sheep and cows there are options. It still is done in the countryside although less and less nowadays.

Even if you are not registered, you still have to comply with the Acts on livestock (animal cruelty etc)

This is especially the case for killing them. They need to be stunned before you kill them (shooting). For pigs and cows that can be a problem.

There are a lot of rules you have to keep in mind. Best if you contact Evira. Their website will give some information but the regulations are all in Finnish.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:04 am

rinso wrote:This is especially the case for killing them. They need to be stunned before you kill them (shooting). For pigs and cows that can be a problem.

Shotgun, rifle or pistol would do. http://elaintenhyvinvointikeskus.edublo ... wejrqb.pdf

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:00 am

If I wanted a farm, I'd buy one in Estonia. They are also in hhe EU, but read ghe rules like its supposed. To benefit the peopld, not like Finland where they find sny rule to screw the people

dave071061 · Post by **dave071061** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:14 pm

Any property that is keeping animals needs to be registered to do so. Not sure there is a fee, but it is a simple online form to be filled out.

I only really know about sheep, but they have to be tagged and registered even if they are for your own consumption, This is so that in case of disease outbreak they can track all animals.
For the same reason you also need to keep a register of any animals which are moved onto or off of your property and all treatments given to the animals.

"officially" if the sheep are being slaughtered for human consumption then it needs to be done at a commercial slaughter house,
However if the meat is for animal consumption then it can be done at home if you follow the rules and can be bothered with the mess, much easier is normally contact local farmers/hunting clubs, outside of lohja for example is a farm where the farmer does the butchering for the local hunt club and can also do the slaughter and butchering of sheep and pigs.

If you are buying a "Farm" then the following doesn´t effect you, but if you are buying what we would call a homestead, i.e a house with enough land to raise food mainly for your own consumption then you need to check what the local by-laws are, in lohja as an example you can´t keep any non domestic animals apart from 5 chickens unless you have at least 2 Hectors of land, which is silly if you are only keeping 5 sheep.
Go to Sanmatti and they have no such rules.

If you buy land which is already EU registered then you get subsidies based on the area involved and what you are using it for, it ranges from a tens of euros/hector to a couple of hundred. You can get increased subsidies if you are keeping a Finnish breed of sheep, but I think there is a minimum number you have to keep.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Thu Mar 27, 2014 9:13 pm

dave071061 wrote: You can get increased subsidies if you are keeping a Finnish breed of sheep, but I think there is a minimum number you have to keep.

I think the subsidy ended last year

But there are all kinds of subsidies and they change all the time. Generally speaking, you need quite a large farm and/or lots of animals before you get any EU money. The sheep thing was an exception as there was no minimum AFAIK for that.

foca · Post by **foca** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:58 pm

Having read this I am sure of one thing I am not starting a farm here....

Honest · Post by **Honest** » Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:52 am

dave071061 wrote:Any property that is keeping animals needs to be registered to do so. Not sure there is a fee, but it is a simple online form to be filled out..

So all properties which have pets should be registered as having animals?

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:13 pm

Honest wrote:
dave071061 wrote:Any property that is keeping animals needs to be registered to do so. Not sure there is a fee, but it is a simple online form to be filled out..
So all properties which have pets should be registered as having animals?

No. That would be silly. But...

Act: http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset ... 960247.pdf
Animal welfare concerns all animals be they farm animals, wild animals or pets and most of the legislation is based on EU directives, so the same applies all over Europe. See section 24 for a definition of "professional" in terms of keeping pets.

The various decrees give more precise information:
http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki/kaannokset ... 960396.pdf
A clearer definition of "hobby" animals and pets is given in Chapter 8 section 26.

dave071061 · Post by **dave071061** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:48 pm

Honest wrote:
dave071061 wrote:Any property that is keeping animals needs to be registered to do so. Not sure there is a fee, but it is a simple online form to be filled out..
So all properties which have pets should be registered as having animals?

Sorry should have been clearer, Any Property that is keeping Non Domestic animals.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:08 am

When are you getting your sheep?

Tullynessle Turnip · Post by **Tullynessle Turnip** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 2:03 pm

"I would like to ask what is the law/policy in Finland if you want to have your own animals like: chickens, sheeps, pigs, cows and so forth for own consumption?"

Finnish law states that if you are from Somalia you may keep all the above animals in your apartment.

Alex.Sm · Post by **Alex.Sm** » Thu Apr 10, 2014 4:25 pm

Tullynessle Turnip wrote:"I would like to ask what is the law/policy in Finland if you want to have your own animals like: chickens, sheeps, pigs, cows and so forth for own consumption?"

Finnish law states that if you are from Somalia you may keep all the above animals in your apartment.

I wanted to answer you something but it's not worth it ...

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