Birds: Exports

(asked on 5th January 2024) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that checks on the welfare of chicks for exportation are undertaken (a) before they leave the UK and (b) at the point of arrival in the importing country.


Answered by
Mark Spencer Portrait
Mark Spencer
Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 16th January 2024

Day old chicks are transported in highly controlled conditions, designed specifically to protect their welfare on long journeys. Checks are not routinely carried out on chicks being exported. It is the responsibility of the transporter to ensure that their transportation complies fully with legal requirements aimed at protecting the chicks’ welfare.

All transporters are required to ensure that when transporting animals, they do so in a way that avoids causing pain, suffering or distress. The rules relating to the commercial transportation of animals are set out in retained Regulation (EC) 1/2005 and The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, with equivalent domestic regulations in Wales and Scotland.

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