2,483. Beginning Hilchos Shechita

Hilchos Shechita 1:1

There is a positive mitzvah for a person who wants to eat the meat of an animal or a bird to slaughter it as per Deuteronomy 12:21, “You shall slaughter from your cattle and your sheep.” Regarding a blemished firstborn animal, the next verse says, “Like one would eat a gazelle and a hart.” From this we learn that wild animals are the same as domesticated animals vis-à-vis ritual slaughter. As for birds, Leviticus 17:13 says, “that will snare an animal or a bird as prey... and shed its blood,” from which we infer that shedding a bird’s blood is comparable to shedding an animal’s blood.”

Hilchos Shechita 1:2

The laws of ritual slaughter are the same in all cases: one who slaughters a domesticated animal, a wild animal or a bird first recites the blessing that God commanded us regarding shechita (ritual slaughter). If one neglected to recite the bracha, either intentionally or accidentally, the meat is permitted. It is prohibited to eat from a slaughtered animal while it’s in its death throes; if one eats from an animal before it dies, he violates a prohibition. It’s included in the prohibition “Do not eat upon the blood” (Leviticus 19:26) but one doesn’t receive lashes for it. It is permitted to cut meat from it after it has been ritually slaughtered, but before it dies. That meat should be salted thoroughly, washed thoroughly, and left until the animal dies. Afterwards, it may be eaten.