VictoriaBailey

In the Brooder
Jun 9, 2022
5
15
17
Hi friends,

This may be a bit of a strange one...the UK government sure think it is anyway.
I am a duck Mom to two beautiful scovy boys who will be 4 soon. Due to health reasons, I have to move back to the UK from Canada and can't imagine my life without them. I've hand raised them since they were 3 days old and they are my absolute world.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with importing any kind of 'poultry' to the UK? I've been told they can't class as pets, but I refuse to fill out a form that says I intend to import them for slaughter or breeding as that is in no way accurate.
I can't find any information on anyone who has done this before, and am hitting dead ends with emails to APHA and DEFRA as they don't seem to understand ducks can be pets.
Surely I don't need to get a commercial livestock import licence to import my boys. I'm hoping to get them in as a personal import but I think I have a long way to go before I get to that.
Can anyone help in any way at all?

Thanks in advance!
Victoria
 
Thanks for the response! They're too chunky, over 15lbs (just) unfortunately, so even if they weren't classed as poultry, they wouldn't fit in cabin. I think they may be too tall to be comfortable in cabin too, they'd happily sit on my knee for 8 hours, but they have to be in carrier at all times under the seat infront.

The main sticking point we've got is because they're not allowed to be classed as pets, they have to have been bred by a commercial breeder with a certain commercial import license and given a slaughter date etc which isn't at all relevant, or viable for me to get as an individual. They were rescued from a meat farm but even the farm where they were born doesn't have the right import license for the UK.
I'm so determined to figure it out, I'm not leaving them. Thanks again for your suggestions and help!
 
would you be able to just bring them on a flight with you like you can with cats/small dogs? they’d probably need a vet check first though
Yeah, their vet is happy to do all of the necessary paperwork and put together their medical history etc. Also got to test 7-14 days before flying for Newcastle's and Avian Flu, which is fine. It's just the two of them, no contact with other feathered friends since the quarantine started here.
*sigh* its so frustrating...they act more like dogs than most dogs, I've transported 8 dogs across borders in the last 3 years with no problem at all...they're cuter than dogs ahaha, I hate that this is so difficult.

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The main sticking point we've got is because they're not allowed to be classed as pets...
I assume you already checked all the rules about pet birds of other species? (Just in case there is some definition that could plausibly include pet ducks.)
 
I assume you already checked all the rules about pet birds of other species? (Just in case there is some definition that could plausibly include pet ducks.)
From what I can see, yeah. I'm hoping to hear back about if poultry can be brough in as a personal import. There also looks like there could be different rules for one time shipments containing less than 20 birds, but the regulations are so so confusing, I keep going round in circles on it.
 
Do you perhaps have any use for an emotional support animal? One of our members was able to get his 4 ducks certified legally. Perhaps that would enable you to bring them?
Great suggestion! I am technically eligible for an ESA. I just looked into this and speciesism strikes again...the rules changed in January that only Emotional Support Dogs with a special type of phyciatric lisence are classed as Emotional Support Animals on flights, all others must either be carry on if they're small enough, or in the hold. Which is fine, they will be happy enough in the hold as long as they're together, they love car rides and are super chill. The issue is when we land and I have to declare them. I'm so worried that if I get any paperwork wrong or anything they'll just 'dispose' or confiscate them and not let me take them in.
I'm going to look into it further as saying they're ESA may help them not have to be classified as livestock.
Thanks!
 
Did you ever find any information? I am currently tryng to figure out if that is possible for my chickens. We will be moving from the U.S. soon and I can't leave all of my girls and boys behind. They are all rescues.
Your boys are adorable!!
 

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