Preparación de embarque y/o de la carga2

Chicks up to three days old

Farm process, production unit and / or hatchery and exporter

Preparation of shipment and /or cargo

Arrival at the border

Detections of inconsistencies in goods

Preparation of shipment and / or load

a) Packaging

Primary Packaging: It is the container aimed at containing a product and which is in contact with it.
Secondary Packaging: It is the container used to contain primary packaging.
Packaging Materials: They are all the materials, procedures and methods used to condition, present, handle, store, preserve and transport goods.

i. For imports

Newly born birds of up to three days of age intended for a broiler barn in Mexico, usually are placed in plastic trays or boxes protecting them from shocks or sudden movements. They are stacked on one another, and should perfectly fit to have stacking uniformity, and no voids among them, so birds cannot stick out their heads or get out.

International shipments of the chicks use pads made of sterile wood fiber, pressed paper, which are placed in the bird boxes. These pads are an integral part of animal welfare when shipped long distances, to greatly decrease the incidence of “spread legs” and the consequent increase in morbidity / mortality. The pads are usually a friendly product for the welfare of the chicks, specifically because of their larger size. It is a product that allows the animals to have more grip inside the box during transport and greater cushioning (cushion), this in turn allows the best animal welfare practices during transit.

Carrying trays shall be dry, clean, in good condition and resistant to shocks.

Transportation of one-day chicks from the hatchery to the farms is a key step in the broiler productive cycle. The best possible conditions should be made available, and fully monitor all parameters that can have influence both on the well-being of chicks, as well as on the beginning and future zootechnical results of lots.

If transportation conditions are not optimum, stress will translate into a bad development affecting immunity, initial feed consumption and digestion, consistency and weight gain and, in the worst-case scenario, leading to mortality.

One-day old chicks are by nature well suited for transportation. They are born with yolk residue, and are comfortable without feed or water for up to two days, as long as the thermal neutrality zone is maintained in the boxes. So, it is recommended to follow the temperature indications that your supplier indicates.

Thus, the following items are to take into account:

It is important to optimize the transportation conditions from the hatchery to the barn for later yields. It is not appropriate to evaluate only the packaging materials and transportation based on the number of dead chicks upon arrival.
100% of the checklist items shall be met for transportation and packaging materials conditions, starting with sanitary and cleanliness conditions, followed by ventilation, structure, engines, capacity and maintenance.
Choose chick transportation trucks that are reliable, capable of operating in the range of extreme conditions due to weather, in the geographic location of your hatchery and your clients’.
Keep an adequate temperature inside the chicks’ boxes, optimizing air temperature and speed.
Work fast during the critical loading and unloading process when there is not forced-air ventilation, and/or provide sufficient spacing between chick individual boxes or trays.
Consider the location of temperature monitors while reviewing the exit. Avoid direct contact between chicks and sensors.
Adjust the number of chicks per box or tray, if not done, the optimum temperature in the transportation boxes cannot be achieved.

ii. Pallets

It is important to use pallets or stacked products which facilitates loading and unloading of goods. If pallets are made of debarked wood, they shall bear the official stamp indicating they were subjected to treatment against pests using methyl-bromide (MB) fumigation with a total 24-hour exposure, heat treatment (HT) by dielectric heating (DH) in accordance in accordance to NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017 Mexican Standard –which sets forth the phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introduction and/or spreading of quarantine pests associated to international trade mobilization of wood packaging material, made of raw wood used in international trade).

Regulations on International Trade Wood Packaging Material:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-mb160e.pdf

NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017 Mexican Official Standard:

https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5514060&fecha=22/02/2018

Mark on wooden pallets:

- Examples of Correct and Incorrect Loads

Correct Loads:

Incorrect Loads:

b) Labelling

i. For imports

Plant’s original label in the language of the Country of Origin with the following information:

Name and description of product (variety, line or commercial name).
Supplier
Destination Country.
Hatchery’s and seal NPIP number.
Export health certificate number.

To declare the destination of the shipment: "name and address" preferably the destination address of the merchandise should be entered, however in those cases in which the declared destination address does not match with that of the importer stated on the box label, it will be acceptable that the Interested party present a letter of commitment in which under oath of telling the truth, declare the specific address for that shipment, as well as the amount that will arrive at that place, when the entire shipment has a single destination. For those shipments that have more than one address in Mexico, It will be required that each request to process the Zoosanitary Certificate for import (CZI) is accompanied by the corresponding Export certificate, so that the CZI is transmitted and the point of entry into Mexican territory, that will protect their internal mobilization towards their final destination, complying with the applicable Mexican regulations in force regarding animal health.

See annex 60 (informative note) SENASICA commercial guide.

If you wish to know more about birds up to three days labeling, you may click on the following link:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/vs/iregs/animals/downloads/mx_label_sub.pdf

It is necessary for the labels affixed to the trays or containers where birds are transported to have the information required by the Mexican authority.

Additional handwritten or typed labels are allowed with information that is relevant to the exporter and/or customer without compromising the original plant label and will not be a reason for the shipment to be detained.

This is an example if you want to put an additional label.