Exporting Chickens

Chris you do not have to feed them give them an apple for the journey time-this will serve them as food and they be hydratet too.my cockrel went to Poland with my friend when he got there he had a very short brake to feed and give drink for the cockrell and then he went back to the box and send him off thruu polish postal service to final destination.My cocrel journey was 48H with an apple.When he arrived to his final destination he was a fresh,not tired looking bird at all.he fell in love straight away with one of his wifes and had no illnes or anything like that.He is a very happy boy now:)In Poland we can send thruu postal service birds and they usually next day at their destination.You need another driver maybe to worry about or take case of Red Bull or other stimulating drink
 
Think I'll take the Red Bull as well as another driver. Great tip about the apple Tygresek. Problem we have is with 6 cockerels in the van. If they wake up they will start fighting between the cages. We have some breathable fabric to put between them coming soon, but we can't put anything soild or there won't be enough air circulation. We'll be having a 'trial run' of loading up. Found a ferry to take us wth a 2.00am sailing for £138. Thought that was a fair price as the trailer and van are 10.3 metres long total and 2.65 metres high. Smaller than a caravan though.
 
tygrysek75 said:
In Poland we can send thruu postal service birds and they usually next day at their destination.
Click to expand...

Do you have to label the parcel 'This Way Up' , Tyg?
I know you used to be able to send all sorts of livestock in the guard's van on trains in the days of steam. Some of the narrow gauge railways had special livestock vans to carry sheep and cattle between farms along the line, in the days before so much motor transport was available.
 
Marigold said:
tygrysek75 said:
In Poland we can send thruu postal service birds and they usually next day at their destination.
Click to expand...

Do you have to label the parcel 'This Way Up' , Tyg?
I know you used to be able to send all sorts of livestock in the guard's van on trains in the days of steam. Some of the narrow gauge railways had special livestock vans to carry sheep and cattle between farms along the line, in the days before so much motor transport was available.
Click to expand...
Yes,lots of labels on the package and info that this is live animal.You can send only birds this way no other animals.Loads of peaple using this service as is not to expensive.I think I had paid aroung £6 for it with the insurance,parcel was about 2kg.
 
Chris if you mix the cockrelss and hens all in separete cages,do they still fight?They may be comfort for them to actually see eachother .They act difrently when in transit.when I was taking my cocrel to the vet he was sitting in the front seat on the edge of the basket:)He was very interested what is happening outside of the widows and was very quaiet.But back home he was a menice!
 
We have no problems when they are on their own Tygrysek. But put two together or too close together and they will try to kill each other. Here we have them separated by either two fences at least 2 metres apart or one 'blacked out' with plastic sheet. Strangely it is the normally passive Orpingtons that are most territorial.

Young cockerels together squabble but put them in with too few hens and they will fight as if their lives depended on it. Give them enough hens and they will take charge of some and be happy.
 
So updating. Departure moved back a week because Ifor Williams is late delivering the trailer, a BV125 x7', which is a box van railer 5 feet wide x 12 feet long x 7 feet high. It is the biggest they do in that 5 foot range and will have a combination rear door which doubles as a ramp. Chosen that to get the maximum volume for minimum net weight and it leaves 1055Kg capacity for the coops and runs. The run panels are 6' 6" long so they can stand on their sides and fill the space to the roof. I have removed the cross bracing on them to reduce the volume occupied in transit. This is for the first run to get coops assembled over there ready to put the chickens straight in on arrival.

Blood tests now due on 8th August for export on 7th September of 29 chickens. They will go with the last of the coops, some essential furniture and equipment plus clothes, food and stuff. The rest goes over by artic about 4 weeks later.

Trial fit in the van of the secondhand dog cages we've been buying was quite successful. There will be a strict loading sequence and the cages are too tall to fit in two decks. So onto the internet to a cage trap kit supplier (got the details at a game fair earlier in the year) and we are getting rings and crimping pliars to cut two cages down by 6". So we have 7 in all. Once we have them all fitted properly we will have a trial loading run.

Next problem we have is getting air into the van when stationary on the ferry and I may have to cut a hole in the bulkhead and fit a 12 volt fan from a battery- the cigarette lighter socket goes off when the keys are removed from the ignition. This has the advantage of being able to utilise the aircon and cool them down a bit.

Next stage is to get an external air vent fitted before the vet visits.
 
On long journeys our birds get a bit of tinned sweetcorn (sans sugar..) they love it! :D
 
I'll get some of that Foxy, as well with Tygrysek's apple. But I'm hoping they don't wake up and won't need it because of the cockerels in close proximity. They will be screened with cardboard just in case.

We need a French bank account opened BEFORE we get there, because bank reference requests here have to be made in person and Rosie won't be here. We have rent to pay plus phone and electricity. The French are insisting we provide proof of a visit to France in the last 6 months, which we haven't got obviously -been building coops and packing. They will accept NOTHING ELSE except a house purchase contract -tried the rental agreement and receipt for deposit, but that's not on their 'list'. Been going round in circles for months. This is typical of the French apparently -one of the the few down sides of life in France!
 
Is this only because you have to pay in Euros Chris - in which case you could probably open a Euro account with your current bank, or are they being bl***y minded and insist you have an account with a French bank? UK banks can be just as bad - we have very few paper bills and the utilities are in OH's name which can cause a problem when I want an account just in my name. Thank goodness they're using credit checks more these days. The French invented bureaucracy - during the Revolution! Good luck with it all.
 
Just been talking to a friend, who will be driving from Calais to Frankfurt, bemoaning the fact that the van hire firm don't provide the necessary bits and pieces. You've probably got it all covered Chris, but in the excitment don't forget your fluorescent jacket, warning triangle, headlamp deflectors, GB plate and breathalyser. You probably already know that the Gendarmes get a bonus for copping foreign motorists.
 
and spare light bulbs to add to the list and if you wear glasses you need to have spare one too.Really stupid requairment as even if I had the lightbulb in my car it is not possible to replace that by the road as you have to remove few bits first.
 
Thanks Margaid and Tygrysek. We have two jackets and two breathalysers ( two required), removeable headlamp covers and all the other stuff -first aid kit is also necessary. We used to holiday over there every year. There is a 3 month amnesty period for tourists on the breathalysers, which are only a few quid each anyway.
 
Latest position is the trailer has at last arrived so I've got to get insurance and collect it (have the number plate). So the vet plus two final year students arrive tomorrow at 10.00am for blood samples. We ring the chickens this afternoon for sample identification. Van extractor vent (electric to cool them in the hold of the ferry) parts are awaited from Europe so earliest we will get one is next Wednesday. Two cages to cut down and the extra one for sicky Bumble has arrived. I leave for France with 5 coops and runs on 24th and return a week later to final pack for despatch 7th September. Van has a new timing belt and oill change on Thurday. House and garden stuff 60% packed and containerised. Can see us working into the night soon to finish as I still have 4 runs to build and one coop to paint and assemble!!!
 
Vet has been and done the blood testing the 'commercial' way I presume. Lift the wing of the bird, cut through the skin with a scalpel blade, nick the vein, collect the blood in a pot and put the wing down and the bird back quickly. Victoria lost a lot of blood in the process which the other hens drank! She looks a bit pale but otherwise OK. Rosie watered all the blood into the ground because the last thing we need is cannibalism at this stage! I was expecting a syringe, but I suppose it would then be a slow process so rather more expensive. All seem unconcerned about it and back to normal selves in half an hour. Doing a rapid test route so we don't have to book the ferry until we know they are good to go!
 
Made me feel a bit ill really Marigold. Our little babies being butchered like that! My right arm was covered in blood. I did say if they took that much from Boris and his girls it would kill them! The TNN's kicked up a hell of a racket -they wanted to be broody, not bothered about the testing.

About a week or so for test results. Then we can get the passage booked -livestock freight from Dover to Calais.
 
Been reading this with interest Chris - yes I know I haven't been posting, but I have been trying to keep up! :D

Was just wondering - you say your birds fight and you are worried about it happening on route. I too have a problem with my boys fighting when they are at home, but I regularly take them in the car to shows and things, never put anything between them, and they don't fight.

I was thinking, that with it being dark/dim in the trailer, they probably wouldn't - my worry is that with anything between the cages, you are going to be cutting down on the ventilation or at least slowing it down.

It's just a thought and I appreciate that you know your birds best. :)
 
Thanks Philcott. I wouldn't bother with dividers but can't be sure what will happen at customs. If they open the van and shine a torch the chickens may wake and go crazy. Same if we break down or something.

Trailer has been collected, which has upset the neighbours as they don't like change, even if it's just the view from their dustbins! It's tall enough to stand the run panels on end, which effectively doubles the floor capacity. DEFRA certified laboratory has confirmed receipt of bloods and we will be chasing results on Tuesday.

Frantically building runs at the moment. Just bought 240 metres of laths -rubbish quality but that was from the last known supplier of good stuff (15 miles away) and I haven't got time to search further afield. Having said the the rubbisjh stuff I bought 5 years ago has only just started to rot.

Last coop fully painted and now needs over a day to final assemble before stripdown for shipping. As I am running out of time they will have to wait for nestbox curtains and run perches.
 
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