First-class fowls: tip-top transport
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(EN and turkey breeding is big business these days
at this season — and there are several large combines iusing in this market. One of the largest is Sun Valley y Products of Hereford and CM has just visited the transport manager, Robert Baxter, to see how he led delivery of our Christmas dinners.
story starts at the feed mills under the control of the ler, John James, where 1,500-2,000 tons of feed is pre weekly. The four main constituents, maize, wheat, herring nd soya bean meal, are received in bulk grain carriers and in hoppers.
hoppers are controlled electronically to produce the exact ng and blending of the feed rmx.
k grain carriers then transport the feed to the various growing situated near to Hereford and they have a capacity of 21/2-3 chickens dependent on demand and time of the year. ikes seven weeks to breed a 41b chicken from the hatched egg farms. The birds are then caught and taken to the processing r where they are unloaded at one end of the building and the ;sing begins.
cl packed and frozen
jiene is strict and under continual inspection from the various iment bodies. Everything is mercifully quick, poultry comes out brand packed and frozen, and is stored in : trays on wheeled trolleys ready for dispatch. Forty-foot rated trailers with electrically operated lifts are backed up, ie final product is then sent to the customers throughout the
-ne poultry is exported via the services of the British Poultry t Co.
minimise heat loss the main processing plant has specially "Jed loading and dispatch bays with small trap doors opening ly to the trailer doors. In some cases the trailers back up to il inverted-shaped seals.
Refrigerated trailers waiting for vent fluctuations in plant ternloading of fresh supplies of pre re, refrigerated trailers are packed frozen poultry, Maximum I up to loading bays fitted with size Thermo King refrigeration units I seals. are used.
Purpose-built and reliable transport is the backbone of this company and it is controlled by three separate managers.
At the feed mills Reg Gummer is in charge of a fleet of vehicles comprising F86 and F88 Volvos, Seddons, AEC and Albions — with bodies by Dunnspencer, Murfitt and Bulkmohile. There are also two tandem-axle and two triaxle Crane Fruehauf trailers.
The grain is collected and delivered to the mills from various parts of the UK and imported from Many countries as well.
Collection and delivery managers
It is estimated that 70 per cent of the cost of producing the correct weight bird is taken up by the feed.
Roy Durham is the manager in charge of the live poultry collection and he operates a fleet of 12 vehicles, mostly Volvos. Twenty-three special bodies are used. On average 28 loads of live poultry are brought to the plant every day.
After every journey the cages and trailer are cold-water pressure washed against infection. The cages, which are designed by the company, are galvanised and stand up well to such treatment. Each cage can carry up to 10 4Ih chickens.
John Smith is traffic manager in charge of delivery of the finished products and has a fleet of some 15 F88, F86 and F10 Volvos; also three Marathons. These work in conjunction with 21 van trailers refrigerated at —2 C to —18' C dependent on the product and destination. In an average week they carry some 170,200 fresh and 245,000 frozen chickens and turkeys plus a host of meat products.
Vehicle service is strictly controlled on a time and mileage basis. The main workshops are due to be redeveloped shortly, but supplementary service facilities are located at the feed mills nine miles from the process plant.
Food products must be in perfect condition when bought by the housewife. So the fleet carrying them must reflect an image of cleanliness, and this is what Sun Valley does. • CM reporter.