Guidance

Get a Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) activity code

Find the activity codes needed to apply for a Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) licence.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency
• Published: 13 March 2026

Applies to England and Wales

To work outside a Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouse, you must apply for a Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (WATOK) licence.

Find out more about slaughtering outside a Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved slaughterhouse.

How to get activity codes

When you apply for a WATOK licence, you must provide an activity code for each type of animal and operation it will cover.

To get the activity codes:

1. Find the reference letter for the species, for example, ‘A’ for cattle.

2. Find the activity number for the operation in the tables, for example, ‘11’ for using a penetrative captive bolt device.

3. Combine the reference letter and activity number to create the activity code, for example, ‘A11’ for using a penetrative captive bolt device on cattle.

Red meat

The reference letter for the following species is:

• A - for cattle, including water buffalo and bison
• V - for calves
• B - for horses, includes mules and donkeys
• C - for sheep and goats
• D - for pigs, including farmed wild boar
• E - for large game, including feral wild boar, deer, alpacas, llamas and guanaco

Operation	Activity number	Use for	Do not use for
Penetrative captive bolt device	11	All species	(No restrictions)
Non-penetrative captive bolt device (simple stun only)	12	Calves less than 10kg Sheep less than 10kg Goats less than 10kg Large game less than 10kg	Cattle Horses Pigs Heavier calves, sheep, goats and large game
Non-penetrative captive bolt device (stun kill, England only)	12a	Lambs less than 6kg Kids less than 4kg Piglets less than 10kg	Cattle Calves Horses Large game Heavier sheep, goats and pigs
Firearm with free projectile	13	All species	(No restrictions)
Pithing	14	All species	(No restrictions)
Head-only electrical stunning	21	All species	(No restrictions)
Head-to-body electrical stunning	22	All species	(No restrictions)
Carbon dioxide at high concentration	31	Calves Pigs (knackers yard only)	Cattle Horses Sheep and goats Large game
Carbon dioxide in 2 phases	32	Calves	Cattle Horses Pigs Sheep and goats Large game
Carbon dioxide associated with inert gases	33	Calves Pigs (knackers yard only)	Cattle Horses Sheep and goats Large game
Inert gases	34	Calves Pigs (knackers yard only)	Cattle Horses Sheep and goats Large game
The restraint of animals for the purpose of stunning or killing	42	All species	(No restrictions)
The shackling or hoisting of animals	43	All species	(No restrictions)
The stunning of animals	51	All species	(No restrictions)
The assessment of effective stunning	52	All species	(No restrictions)
The bleeding of live animals, monitoring the absence of signs of life	53	All species	(No restrictions)
The monitoring for absence of signs of life (killing and culling only)	54	All species	(No restrictions)

White meat: poultry, ratites and lagomorphs

The reference letter for the following species is:

• K - for chicken and guinea fowl
• L - for quail
• M - for turkey
• N - for ratites, including ostrich, emu and rhea
• Q - for ducks
• P - for geese
• R - for lagomorphs (rabbits and hares)

Operation	Activity number	Use for	Do not use for
Penetrative captive bolt device	11	All species	(No restrictions)
Non-penetrative captive bolt device	12	All species	(No restrictions)
Firearm with free projectile	13	All species	(No restrictions)
Cervical dislocation (not for routine killing) (Up to 3kg manual or 5kg mechanical)	15	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey Ducks Geese	Lagomorphs Ratites
Head-only electrical stunning	21	All species	(No restrictions)
Head-to-body electrical stunning	22	All species	(No restrictions)
Electrical waterbath	23	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey Ducks Geese	Lagomorphs Ratites
Carbon dioxide at high concentration	31	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey	Ducks Geese Lagomorphs Ratites
Carbon dioxide in 2 phases	32	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey Ducks Geese	Lagomorphs Ratites
Carbon dioxide associated with inert gases	33	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey Ducks Geese	Lagomorphs Ratites
Inert gases	34	Chicken Guinea fowl Quail Turkey Ducks Geese	Lagomorphs Ratites
The restraint of animals for the purpose of stunning or killing	42	All species	(No restrictions)
The shackling or hoisting of animals	43	All species	(No restrictions)
The stunning of animals	51	All species	(No restrictions)
The assessment of effective stunning	52	All species	(No restrictions)
The bleeding of live animals, monitoring the absence of signs of life	53	All species	(No restrictions)
Monitoring the absence of signs of life (killing and culling only)	54	All species	(No restrictions)

Published 13 March 2026