Kosher

Kosher is the dietary laws by which Jews must abide. All plants are kosher, but this is not true of animals, birds and fish. In order to be kosher, an animal must have completely parted hooves as found on cows, sheep, goats and deer. Pigs also have split hooves but do not fulfill the second requirement in order to be considered kosher--chewing cud (food which is regurgitated from the first stomach to the mouth to be chewed again).

Leviticus 11:2-3 : "These are the animals which you are permitted to eat ... anything which has a completely split hoof and chews the cud, this you may eat ..."

There are no set rules when consuming poultry. There is a long list of birds named in the Bible that are not considered kosher.

Lev. 11:13-19 : These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, the buzzard, the kite of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat.

Most of those who follow Judaism practice consume only chicken, turkey and duck though any bird not mentioned to be an 'abomination' may be consumed.

Following the selection of a kosher animal, you must also kill it by Shechitah. This process involves killing the animal by slitting its throat with a very sharp knife which is said to kill the animal painlessly. After this, all the blood must be drained from the animal.

http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/gcsere/revision/judaism/jud3/page11.html