Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Posted: **Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:38 am**

If anybody is selling cows to Europe make sure you can get them across the channel.
The ferry companies that operate from Dover/Ramsgate etc. do not carry live cattle.
I have asked P&0 and Seafrance to review the situation, their head offices are just 3 miles away, but it doesn't look very bright at the moment.
You cannot just put them in a trailer and and get on the roro! The port authority are no problem it is the actual ferry operators who have decided not to and they can choose the goods they carry.
There is a little hope from Norfolk line who bring breeding cattle in and take pedigree pigs out. Your society has written to them asking for a review.
There is another private company who are taking calves out but they are very secretive about their operation. They think anybody trying to get information is an animal rights activist, I am working on it!
Does anybody know what is happening at Felixtowe and Harwich? or anywhere else for that matter? Any airports taking live cattle?
We all need to get together on this and share information. The more ports we can travel through the less journey times will be.

Posted: **Sun Jun 25, 2006 12:37 pm**

Am in the process of sending cattle to Ireland (south) and there does not appear to be any problem! They have to be TB tested and Ireland is insisting on brucellosis as well even though EU says it is not needed! Seems to be fairly straight forward direct from Scotland, taking cattle from south of the border is a little more complicated but not impossible.
Will let you know if I come accross any problems!
Hazel

Posted: **Sun Jun 25, 2006 5:09 pm**

It is not any problem with testing or ministry paperwork, that is no more than sending a bull to an AI centre, it is a problem with the shipping companies who are refusing to take cattle on board. You can go into the port but cannot board the ferry.
It is all to do with the animal rights activists, the shipping companies do not want the aggro. They are not differentiating between pedigree breeding animals and calves going into veal units.
I would be interested to know which shipping company you are using and if they are allowing them on the roro ferry in a trailer or lorry? Are you shipping them yourself or are you using an agent?
Thanks Hazel

Posted: **Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:10 am**

Hello Di,

any luck on this? In view of the subdued market in England, I think developing an export market for Dexters is a sound idea, and have been looking into this myself, although not in too much detail yet.
As I have said before, there are times I would like to move abroad when yet another hurdle is created by DEfra, but I would like to take my herd with me!
It seems, as Hazel has said, that from here to Ireland is OK, and from Ireland to Europe, but the simplest and shortest crossing of all, from you to France, is beseiged with problems. Do the majority of animal activists live in the South East?!

Obviously we would all want our beloved dexters to have the most comfortable journey, but despite the fact that the journey may be considerably shorter than someone buying stock off you from Norfolk, for example, because they are leaving the country it is concidered their welfare is doomed.

Good luck!

Posted: **Thu Jun 29, 2006 11:09 pm**

Haven't had much time this week to go to shipping companies as getting ready for the Royal. Shall start when I get back!
Di

Posted: **Fri Jun 30, 2006 10:25 pm**

Hi Di
Hope the Royal went well
At the Royal Norfolk this week, spoke with a goat exporter who said that she believed that livestock were going thru Poole-Cherbourg and Harwich-Rotterdam. Couldnt say which ferry operator.
She also said that the time of the ferry crossing counts as time travelling under the proposed time limit ruling; so we may just have a brief window to export until the * hour rule comes in
Regards
Ted

Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Export to europe