Receiving Farm-Direct Cattle
Farm-direct processing often involves relatively small numbers of cattle connected to individual customer orders. A consistent receiving process helps maintain identification, traceability and communication from livestock arrival onward.
Give producers clear arrival instructions
Tell producers when livestock can arrive, where trailers should enter, who they should contact and what information or records the facility requires.
Avoid leaving first-time customers to guess how receiving works.
Confirm livestock identity
Processors should follow the livestock identification, traceability and recordkeeping requirements that apply to their operation.
Canada’s livestock traceability system is based on animal identification, premises identification and movement information.
Keep customer orders connected to the right animal
Farm-direct processing may involve a whole animal belonging to one customer or portions allocated among several customers.
Use a reliable internal system to connect the producer, animal or carcass, cutting instructions and finished orders.
Regulatory livestock traceability does not replace the processor’s internal system for making sure the correct customer’s beef receives the correct cutting instructions.
Animal handling matters
Receiving facilities and handling procedures should minimize unnecessary stress and injury. Calm livestock handling benefits animals and the people working around them.
Resolve questions before slaughter
If identification, ownership, processing instructions or another important detail is unclear, resolve it as early as possible rather than allowing uncertainty to move farther through the processing system.
Last reviewed: September 2026.