Annual breed fads

[iajewel]

I agree that importing has its place. When you import from the UK using continental airlines you don't pay allot of the fees you would when importing from other countries. We do allot with rabbits and if you can get a rabbit to London from any other country, and then ship it on, you saved about 800.00 I know it doesn't cost 5K to import a pair of birds. Anyone can look up the import requirements on the USDA site and shipping is available through Continental cargo. Again, free info.

 

[justuschickens59]

Do you have to have a customs broker when importing rabbits? And do you have to quarantine? That is where big expenses with importing birds comes into play.

 

[iajewel]

If you read the USDA site for the UK, not other countries but the UK, you don't need a customs broker. You do need the seller (breeder and could be called your broker) to put them on the plane and make sure all health statements are in order. From the UK you don't need to quarinteen. Thats the catch, and it depends not only on laws but your air line. Call Continental and get the details. They save you a ton if you ship out of london. Although its not mandatory to quarinteen out of london, I highly recomend it, just like brining any new animal home, I always quarinteen.

 

[justuschickens59]

I'm not 100% sure about the customs broker, but I know for a 100% fact that all live birds imported to the US (including from England) have to be quarantined at a USDA approved site for 30 days. I've talked to the USDA on numerous occasions and you can't get around the 30 day quarantine for live birds.

 

[justuschickens59]

Apparently, you also have to have a customs broker as well. I just copied and pasted this from the USDA/APHIS site.

Import Procedures (from all countries except Canada)
•All poultry must be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days at a USDA Animal Import Center. The poultry must also be accompanied by a USDA import permit (VS Form17-129) (fillable pdf 75kb), issued prior to shipment of the birds. The importer must contact a USDA Animal Import Center to apply for the import permit and reserve quarantine space in the facility. The addresses for the USDA Animal Import Centers are listed below.

New York Animal Import Center
USDA, APHIS, VS
474 International Blvd
Rock Tavern, NY 12575
Phone: (845) 564-2950
Fax: (845) 564-1075


Miami Animal Import Center
USDA, APHIS, VS
6300 NW 36 Street
Miami, FL 33122
Phone: (305) 526-2926
Fax: (305) 526-2929

Los Angeles Animal Import Center
USDA, APHIS, VS
11850 South La Cienega Boulevard
Hawthorne, CA 90250
Phone: (310) 725-1970
Fax: (310) 725-9119

•The poultry must be accompanied by a current veterinary health certificate issued within 30 days of importation and endorsed by a full-time salaried veterinarian of the agency responsible for animal health of the national government of the exporting country. The health certificate must be translated into English.

•The poultry must be inspected by a USDA port veterinarian at the first U.S. port of entry. The importer must arrange for this inspection at least 72 hours in advance by contacting the USDA port veterinarian at the telephone number listed on the import .

•The importer must retain the services of a customs broker to facilitate the importation and, in some cases, to transport the poultry from the port of entry to the USDA Animal Import Center. The importer should contact the Import Center for a list of customs brokers to provide these services.


•During the quarantine period, all poultry will be tested to determine if they are free of certain communicable diseases of poultry. The cost for this diagnostic testing will be charged to the importer and is separate from the quarantine fee.

•Total payment of the quarantine and diagnostic testing fees is required when the import permit (VS Form17-129) (fillable pdf 75kb) application is submitted. The payment amount will be provided to the importer by the USDA Animal Import Center. The daily user fee rate for standard care, feed, and handling of poultry quarantined in a USDA Animal Import Center is as follows:

Doves, pigeons, quail $ 8.75
Chickens, ducks, grouse, guinea fowl, partridge, pea fowl, pheasants $ 19.00
Large poultry and waterfowl (game cocks, geese, swans, turkey) $ 37.00

 

[Brindlebtch]

Quote:
I think you hit the nail on the head. People pay for ego

Some chickens are like art. Either you like them or you don't. I happen to like Brahmas and LOVED Big Medicine's Sliver Laced Brahmas. As far as I was concerned they are art on the feather. I don't care that I can't show them or they aren't recognised - too me they are ultimate eye candy with the personality to match.

How do you develop new anything? Somebody has to go out on a limb and start working on something new. That is the only way new things are invented. I'm sure a lot of people sounded just like you when the automobile was introduced. Some people just don't like change.

Even if there are poor examples of breed type in a new color does not mean the breed type will be totally lost as long as there is one person out there working on type and color. Most discerning folks can tell the difference between a worthy chicken and a non-worthy, once they have seen both.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Okay, the broker is for THIS side of the pond.

Quarantine fee is $570 per chicken.

+ Testing fees.

+ Shipping fee.

+ Broker fee.

+ whatever handling/broker fees there may be at the point of origin

+ vet fees for health certificate.


Could easily be up to $1k (or more) per bird.


And I TOTALLY agree that it is no more ridiculous to spend one's own money on birds than on cell phones or ipods or high def. flat screen TVs or fancy cars or Rolex watches or collecting Hummels or Lladros or ...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Ever seen the eggs from a croad langshan?

 

[chickerdoodle]

Sonoran Silkies

Ever seen the eggs from a croad langshan?

Never in person but supposedly they have a purple bloom that looks great on the egg.

 

[dsqard]

Quote:
I just googled that and amazing! How often do they lay eggs that are that purple? Is it very few hens that lay that color? Now you have me thinking of a new fad. Love the color purple!