Chicken Haulers

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by SmoothShifter, Feb 1, 2012.

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  1. Feb 1, 2012 #11
    CondoCruiser

    CondoCruiser The Legend

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    I couldn't believe the operations until I started. There's literally hundreds of them all over the country. Tyson has over 400 plants themselves.

    It's the other big one that has many problems.
     
    CondoCruiser, Feb 1, 2012
    CondoCruiser, Feb 1, 2012
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    25(2)+2 Thanks this.
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  3. Feb 1, 2012 #12
    25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    I have never been to a Tyson or other big conglomerate, I have been to an Amish owned one in Northeast IN,picking up live and delivering live, and a place at North Canton, OH delivering live, that was a long drive. both Golden plump plants, one at Arcadia,WI and at Coldwater(St. Cloud area), MN, and picked up chickens in combos from a plant in Kidron OH, more Amish growers around there.

    Empire does the Kosher out east, and there are several in the Midwest. There is a plant in Kalona, IA, and Charles Austin of Chicago(South Canal Street/Chinatown)bought the plant in Charles City, IA out of bankruptcy and I delivered the combos to that before they were shut down in bankruptcy.

    JBS bought Pilgrim's Pride out of bankruptcy..
     
    25(2)+2, Feb 1, 2012
    25(2)+2, Feb 1, 2012
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  4. Feb 1, 2012 #13
    SmoothShifter

    SmoothShifter Defender of the Driveline

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    Yeah, no one wants man boobs after a Chick-Fil-A binge.

    I used to go by a Poultry Genetic Engineering lab in Athens, Ga. on one of my runs for Papa Johns. I think they were tied in with the University there, but it was a huge campus just devoted to that alone.

    If I'm correct and the movie I cited is accurate, I think they spend most of their lives in the dark, which would make it understandable to load them at night. I know that the bit in Food, Inc. pretty much portrayed them living in filth and darkness, and it showed the lady loading up quite a few dead chickens on a daily basis.
     
    SmoothShifter, Feb 1, 2012
    SmoothShifter, Feb 1, 2012
    #13
  5. Feb 1, 2012 #14
    25(2)+2

    25(2)+2 Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    They have to keep records for the plant to give to the USDA on performance including death losses. The older chickens get, the more of the flock will die of natural causes. Heat exposure in the summer causes many to die, They don't keep them in the dark, the lights go off when they have to catch them. The amount of darkness during growout varies with the strain or genetics and how fast they want them to grow. Lights off and they drop down and don't move including eating and drinking. They also pull them off of feed and water before loading so they suffer less discomfort and death loss in transit.

    They import strains from other countries to use in the crossbreeding programs here, trying to come up with strains that grow profitably. The chickens my company has grown under contract are fed feed that leaves their body fat less yellow and more attractive to purchasers, also they use the feeds fed as a selling point. All plant origin feeds are used.

    Headlights shining on the chickens while doing manuevers in the dark will make the chickens get up and try to elude the guys catching them. They start waving their fists outside if you do too much of it.

    This is something I have learned, don't expect accuracy and fairness from the media, sensationalism sells better than no problems. Take everything with a grain or more of salt.
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2012
    25(2)+2, Feb 1, 2012
    25(2)+2, Feb 1, 2012
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  7. Feb 1, 2012 #15
    Grumman

    Grumman Light Load Member

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    I used to deliver to that place in Athens when I worked a peddle route for R+L. There is a secure fcility that you can't go in and they can't come out to sign the bills, just leave the freight in the parking lot. Something about spreading germs to the chickens...or maybe catching something from them. I also used to deliver dog food to a non descript facility in that neck of the woods that did animal testing. Kinda eerie. But the creepiest was delivering to the Yerkes primate institute. Delivered cages there, get in and get the hell out.
     
    Grumman, Feb 1, 2012
    Grumman, Feb 1, 2012
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  8. Jul 2, 2013 #16
    cementandrocks

    cementandrocks Light Load Member

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    Did some livehaul while in between OTR. Weight limit and speed seems to not be important to the plants. More, More, More is the code. The catchers have the worst job in the world, forklift operator spoke no English, and didn't understand the concept of safety while loading the modules on the trailer. The money not too bad, but the hours are brutal. Learned real quick, if unable to find the farm where the crew is loading, try to find the feathers from the earlier trucks, will lead you right to the correct farm! lmao
     
    cementandrocks, Jul 2, 2013
    cementandrocks, Jul 2, 2013
    #16
  9. Jul 2, 2013 #17
    Cluck Cluck

    Cluck Cluck LTL Wizard

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    When I was a lil munchkin my neighbors had a laying house it burned down a couple years ago, but when they'd get a new group of birds we would have to go through and gather up all the roosters. All you'd have to do is give them a quick flip of the wrist and they'd be out like a light......I was only 4-5 the roosters I was in charge of usually got pretty beat up b4 they met their maker

    Its all about their Diet and their Sleep schedule, you could make then eat all day And night if you leave the lights on
     
    Cluck Cluck, Jul 2, 2013
    Cluck Cluck, Jul 2, 2013
    #17
  10. Jul 2, 2013 #18
    cbholister

    cbholister Light Load Member

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    I can't say about all the different plants across the country, but I can say that the ones around my area catch day and night. It makes no difference unless they are catching a hen house. There are no steroids in the feed, but they are antibiotics to promote growth.
    The dot will crack down on them off and on for over axle weight, but that's about it. Some of what's in the media is made-up to promote their agenda/program. I know some companies may try to run heavy, but most around here do the best they can on being legal. If they get to a farm that has a big bird, then they might be a little heavy.
     
    cbholister, Jul 2, 2013
    cbholister, Jul 2, 2013
    #18
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