Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ozexpat]

My mom passed away a few months ago, and we considered flying over for the funeral. I tried to pull som strings to get an emergency passport for my fiance. In his 33 years on this planet, he had never gotten one. It's just so odd to me that Americans don't generally have a passport. I've had a passport since I was 12.. then again, I had already been across half of Europe by the time I was 12. The US is so big, a lot of folks simply never need a passport.

In the end, we did not go, for a variety of reasons. But it's one of those things I simply had never considered. We always spoke about the 'what ifs' of my mom passing (although we expected it to be much further down the road), not once did passports come to mind.



Somewhat relevant. Oz. My fiance is wondering if you don't need papers to move all those eggs, or if customs aren't as anal about animal products. I know getting any sort of animal product into the US is near impossible (my mother smuggled me some canned meats once

)

An import Permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry is required to do it legally. They require advanced notification of incoming shipment and payment of a per egg fee upon arrival.

The eggs have to be quarantined (can be done at farm if approved by the BAI). They normally don't inspect though.

There is a significant amount of paperwork but its a lot easier than bringing into USA. Its impossible to bring them from Asia to US but from Australia and some European countries its OK. It costs in excess of 1000 dollars to get a clutch of 24 eggs in from Europe. Thats why Greenfire Farms has such a great market.

I get a harder time from the inter-island transfer than getting into the country.

When I became an American Citizen, I took the oath on the day |I was flying out of the country. As you hand in the green card when you become a Citizen, I had no way to re-enter. I went from the ceremony straight to the Passport Agency in the federal building in LA and applied. I landed in Oz with my Aussie passport. My wife picked the passport up two days later and Fedexed it to me in Australia.

 

[ozexpat]

Then....... the white chicks are recessive white cream legbars. Wow, I have only had 2/14 white chicks hatch since then.

They are hard to sex at hatch (it is possible when you have seen about 30), but sex is pretty obvious by 5 weeks.

Maybe the whites are better suited to the local environment

. They are still crested and lay blue eggs.

I am not surprised I hatched the unusual ones. I can get Breda Fowl to hatch but Australorps - fuggeddabowdit.

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote:
Have you given any thought to a 410 ga. pump Pig, They are light weight and still come in 3 inch Mag rounds. They just don't hold as many pellets per round as the bigger shot-guns. Most people or critters will not stay around after the 1st shot to talk about 'how big' the weapon was!

Scott

 

[Sweetpea3829]

My mom passed away a few months ago, and we considered flying over for the funeral. I tried to pull som strings to get an emergency passport for my fiance. In his 33 years on this planet, he had never gotten one. It's just so odd to me that Americans don't generally have a passport. I've had a passport since I was 12.. then again, I had already been across half of Europe by the time I was 12. The US is so big, a lot of folks simply never need a passport.

In the end, we did not go, for a variety of reasons. But it's one of those things I simply had never considered. We always spoke about the 'what ifs' of my mom passing (although we expected it to be much further down the road), not once did passports come to mind.



Somewhat relevant. Oz. My fiance is wondering if you don't need papers to move all those eggs, or if customs aren't as anal about animal products. I know getting any sort of animal product into the US is near impossible (my mother smuggled me some canned meats once

)

Sorry to hear of your mom. :-(

I had a passport when I was a child. I traveled with my family into Ireland at the age of 7, for a two week visit with family. Have never needed a passport since!

We knew that the Canadian border requires a passport to cross over to see the Falls, but had been told by a friend of a friend who's father was a border patrol officer, that they would let me over into Canada and then back again. That they wouldn't like it, but they'd let me go as long as I had my license and birth certificate. That was pretty much our experience. The Canadian officer was pretty pissy about it, but he did let me over. And the American officer on the way back simply said, "You don't have a passport and they let you over?"

Now that my husband is a citizen, we will be getting passports for all of us. He'd like to travel to the Azores, plus, we live within three hours of the Canadian border so it kind of makes sense. Being a truck driver, he may also need to travel into Canada from time to time for work.

We're actually planning on getting the NY State Enhanced license, which acts like a passport for travel into Canada and Mexico.

 

[piglett]

Have you given any thought to a 410 ga. pump Pig, They are light weight and still come in 3 inch Mag rounds. They just don't hold as many pellets per round as the bigger shot-guns. Most people or critters will not stay around after the 1st shot to talk about 'how big' the weapon was!

Scott

we might be thinking about an old school double barrel 20 ga.
there is much less "stuff" to worry about messing with
pull the trigger & bang happens
pull it again & it goes bang a second time




thanks
piglett

 

[LuvinBlueBirds]

I FINALLY have gotten caught up to current with this great thread. Thanks for a great ride. It's fun for this back woods hick to live vicariously through your globe trotting! Well done!

 

[ozexpat]

I FINALLY have gotten caught up to current with this great thread. Thanks for a great ride. It's fun for this back woods hick to live vicariously through your globe trotting! Well done!

welcome!!

we like hicks here. I was one for a while.

now that you made it, feel free to add thoughts, impressions and anything else

 

[ozexpat]

The Chicken Mission in my signature below is coming together.

I would love to see you guys in the Philippines.

 

[Tomtommom]

An import Permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry is required to do it legally. They require advanced notification of incoming shipment and payment of a per egg fee upon arrival.

The eggs have to be quarantined (can be done at farm if approved by the BAI). They normally don't inspect though.

There is a significant amount of paperwork but its a lot easier than bringing into USA. Its impossible to bring them from Asia to US but from Australia and some European countries its OK. It costs in excess of 1000 dollars to get a clutch of 24 eggs in from Europe. Thats why Greenfire Farms has such a great market.

I get a harder time from the inter-island transfer than getting into the country.

When I became an American Citizen, I took the oath on the day |I was flying out of the country. As you hand in the green card when you become a Citizen, I had no way to re-enter. I went from the ceremony straight to the Passport Agency in the federal building in LA and applied. I landed in Oz with my Aussie passport. My wife picked the passport up two days later and Fedexed it to me in Australia.

Wow, I had no idea it was THAT much to import eggs from Europe. With my connections in Europe and the US, I had casually mentioned doing some egg import in some of the European breed groups (esp. the Sulmtaler). Yeah, no, not happening

Although it would be pretty darn awesome to have some super rare birds.

All that paperwork and hassle makes it that much more impressive what you've done, Oz.

You've been all over the globe it seems, I bet we've only seen the tip of the iceberg in crazy stories

 

[Wisher1000]

I've never felt more country. I have never lived more than 20 miles from the hospital where I was born, and the farthest I have traveled is to the west coast (San Diego) with my parents as a teen.

On the other hand, everywhere I go, locally, I either know somebody, or meet people who know my family. I have never failed to find someone to talk "family" with at any event, gathering, or even in line at checkout. Did I mention that the population in this area is over 198,000?

Even casual family gatherings can enjoy attendance of 40 or 50 people......