Importing Eggs/Birds From Europe

[altair]

Hello gang! I've read some of the other threads I could find on this subject, and the APHIS website, and would love to talk to those people who personally imported new blood from Europe.

-How does one go about finding a good breeder? I have sent many emails and Facebook posts to various clubs, but have gotten no where. I'm unsure if my emails, going to another county and all, are flagged as spam by their servers and not delivered, or if multiple people in a breed group are prone to ignoring emails. I'm going to write a letter, but that might take a while before I hear a response.

-Is it better to import adult birds or eggs? I have two incubators that can hold 4 dozen eggs. Although I could possibly coax some broodies into a mission, I'm thinking ordering 100 +/- eggs is more worthwhile, obviously with a low hatch rate the more you get the better your results. So I would have to borrow or buy more incubators, however I'm not super confident with eggs already fragile from the trip, so I thought live birds would be a better (though more expensive) option.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I haven't done it yet but hope to do so this year. I know people that have and I've done lots of research on the subject.
I can offer this advice.
IMHO in an ideal world, it would be better to import adult birds but in reality, eggs are better. Once all the paperwork is completed in the originating country, the eggs can come in and put right in the incubator. Adult birds have to be quarantined for a lengthy period. You have no control over their care. That quarantine period is pricey and they could die during that time and you have no recourse. Flying adult birds from Europe also has its downfalls.

You have to be patient. Are you writing the e-mails in the native language or in English?
Many farmers don't speak English and they may not be willing to do all the vet work and paperwork so they just ignore the e-mails.
What country or countries are you looking at?
The best thing to do is to find which farms have the breed/s you're looking for. Then travel to the country and visit the farms that allow visitors.
It is also best to travel there when it is time to bring back the eggs and hand carry them. The only way you can insure incubation success is to hand carry the eggs from the farm to your incubator.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I was wondering the same thing so I'll be following

 

[altair]

I haven't done it yet but hope to do so this year. I know people that have and I've done lots of research on the subject.
I can offer this advice.

IMHO in an ideal world, it would be better to import adult birds but in reality, eggs are better. Once all the paperwork is completed in the originating country, the eggs can come in and put right in the incubator. Adult birds have to be quarantined for a lengthy period. You have no control over their care. That quarantine period is pricey and they could die during that time and you have no recourse. Flying adult birds from Europe also has its downfalls.

All too true about the quarantine process with live birds!

You have to be patient. Are you writing the e-mails in the native language or in English? Many farmers don't speak English and they may not be willing to do all the vet work and paperwork so they just ignore the e-mails.

I've been writing in English as in this modern era of smart phones and google translate lets us decode languages effortlessly, but I could try google translating my own emails in English to their language.

What country or countries are you looking at?

Sweden~

The best thing to do is to find which farms have the breed/s you're looking for. Then travel to the country and visit the farms that allow visitors. It is also best to travel there when it is time to bring back the eggs and hand carry them. The only way you can insure incubation success is to hand carry the eggs from the farm to your incubator.

I would love to go to Sweden! It would take me a very long time to save up (more if not a solo trip). Maybe after retirement in 35 years!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Everyone I know that has imported hatching eggs has done so in person.
If I wasn't going to hand carry the eggs, I wouldn't even bother. It is difficult enough to successfully hatch eggs that have been shipped within the US. Imagine what would happen to those unaccompanied eggs once they leave the farm in Sweden till they get to you here. You don't want to go through all that hassle of finding a farm, having the birds tested multiple times and not hand carry that precious cargo here.
If you don't hand carry them, how are you going to guarantee the eggs aren't X-rayed - multiple times.
I had a problem shipping eggs to Puerto Rico. They were X-rayed. 3 out of 25 eggs hatched and only 2 were without deformities.
Now I understand why you haven't gotten any replies to your inquiries. It is a very arduous process to do the paperwork and legwork to have a farm and flocks tested by government vets. If you aren't willing to go over and help with that, I can't imagine a farmer willing to do it without it costing a bunch.
If you don't meet the source in person and just handle it by e-mail, what is your guarantee that the person on the other end has the means and wherewithal to fulfill that obligation. And how would you handle the costs? It isn't just a matter of buying some hatching eggs.
It is a months long process that has to be planned out with all the regulating agencies and government veterinarians and in all reality can take a year or more to complete.
Ever wonder why Greenfire Farms birds are so expensive?

I must say that the cost of a plane ticket to Sweden is much less than the cost of importation.
You considered importing adult birds. The cost of the birds, shipping, paperwork and quarantine would be many times the price of a round trip plane ticket to Sweden.

It doesn't seem like you have researched how much is involved so here is what has to be done by SOMEONE just for hatching eggs.

• All hatching eggs of poultry imported into the United States must be accompanied by a USDA import permit VS Form 17-129 (except through a land border port from Canada).
• Current veterinary health certificate issued by a full-time salaried veterinarian of the agency responsible for animal health of the national government in the exporting country of origin.
• Importers should submit the application and the processing fee for a permit by check, money order, charge card or by providing a USDA user fee account. If changes need to be made for a permit after it has been issued, there is an additional fee. Current fees can be found here.
• Fees apply if arrival is during regular working hours (approximately 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday), and prior notification has been given. Overtime charges apply if the bird arrives before or after these hours. In addition, USDA port veterinarians are not stationed full-time at each port of entry, prior notification is critical to the import process.

The original veterinary health certificate must be in English or have the English translation, and must accompany the hatching eggs while in transit. It must state that:​

• The flock(s) of origin were found upon inspection to be free from evidence of communicable diseases of poultry;
• No exotic Newcastle disease has occurred on the premises of origin or on adjoining premises during the 90 days immediately preceding the date of movement of the eggs from such region; and
• As far as it has been possible to determine, such flock(s) were not exposed to such disease during the preceding 90 days.
• At least 5 percent (%) or a minimum of 150 birds from the flock of origin were negative for egg drop syndrome (EDS 76). This statement does not apply to hatching eggs or poults of turkeys.
• The flock of origin was tested negative for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) within 30 days by environmental culture, and there is no evidence or knowledge of SE present in the flock
• The flock(s) of origin for the hatching eggs were not vaccinated against any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza. The shipment will not transit through any regions where APHIS considers highly pathogenic avian influenza to exist, as listed here.
• The flocks of origin have been vaccinated against Newcastle disease (avian paramyxovirus) at least 21 days prior to export, using vaccines that do not contain any velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus.

Note: If the flock(s) of origin have not been vaccinated against Newcastle disease, the health certificate should indicate this status.

• The hatching eggs were cleaned and sanitized as soon as possible after collection using an approved-for use-sanitizing agent, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Hatching eggs were placed into new or appropriately sanitized packaging materials at the premises from which the hatching eggs were to be exported.
• The flock or the flock(s) of origin is negative within the previous 90 days for Avian Metapneumovirus (also known as Turkey Rhinotracheitis, (TRT), or Swollen Head Syndrome). At least 30 poultry per house were tested using any of the following methods: rRT-PCR, ELISA, or serology. The health certificate must state if poultry have or have not been vaccinated against this disease. Note: Testing for Avian Metapneumovirus does not apply to waterfowl species.
• Flock(s) of origin for the hatching eggs were not vaccinated against any H5 or H7 subtype of avian influenza.
• The shipment will not transit through any regions where APHIS considers highly pathogenic avian influenza to exist, as listed here on this web page.
• The flock(s) of origin have been vaccinated against Newcastle disease (avian paramyxovirus) at least 21 days prior to export, using vaccines that do not contain any velogenic strains of Newcastle disease virus. OR:
• The flock(s) of origin have not been vaccinated against Newcastle disease.

Hatching eggs originating in the EU-25 Poultry Trade Region (PTR) must have either of the following bulleted statements on all hatching eggs health certificate:

• The consignment did not originate from or travel through, any zone within the EU-25 PTR that were restricted for outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI in commercial poultry for the following period of time, whichever is later: 1). Until the restrictions were lifted by the national competent authority; or 2). 90 days after depopulation of all affected premises, followed by cleaning and disinfection of the last affected premises, in that zone. [note: only 1) applies if the restrictions had been placed for Newcastle disease or HPAI in racing pigeons, backyard flocks or wild birds.]
• The consignment did not originate from, but did travel under official seal through, zones that were restricted for outbreaks of Newcastle disease or HPAI in commercial poultry for the following period of time, whichever is later: 1). until the restrictions were lifted by the national competent authority; or 2). 90 days after depopulation of all affected premises, followed by cleaning and disinfection of the last affected premises, in that zone. [Note: only 1) applies if the restrictions had been placed for Newcastle disease or HPAI in racing pigeons, backyard flocks or wild birds.][Note: under this option, the seal numbers must be noted in the health certificate signed by the certifying veterinarian, with an official veterinarian verifying the seals for such shipments were intact at the time of embarkation.]

It gets even more complicated if the eggs come from a country declared not to be free of Exotic Newcastle Disease. Sweden reported an outbreak in 2001 and I'm not sure if they are declared free of it now.

In addition to the required veterinary health certificate and USDA import permit, importation of hatching eggs from countries not designated by the USDA to be free of END are restricted as follows:​

• Eggs must be transported from the port of entry to the hatchery in a vehicle sealed by the USDA.
• Eggs must be hatched and brooded under the supervision of the Area Veterinarian in Charge (AVIC) in the State of destination. The hatchery must meet certain biosecurity standards and be inspected and approved by the AVIC prior to issuance of the import permit.
• The poultry from such eggs must remain in quarantine for not less than 30 days following hatch.
• During quarantine, the hatching eggs and poultry from such eggs are subject to any inspections, disinfections, and diagnostic testing as may be required by the USDA to determine their freedom from communicable diseases of poultry.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulates the importation of avian species (including their hatching eggs) protected by various national and international acts and treaties such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992, the Migratory Bird Act, and the Endangered Species Act.


Given all that, I think if I was a Swedish poultry farmer and I got an e-mail in English from someone I didn't know, I'm pretty sure I'd send it to my spam folder rather than try to translate it. But that's just me.

What breed were you interested in?
Ölandshöna, Bohuslän-Dals Svarthöna, Hedemorahöna, Skånsk blommehöna, Åsbohöna or some other breed?