# Collection & Delivery Service ?



## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

Would it be of any interest or is there a demand for a service that provides delivery and collection of small animals, one that ensures a good reliable and most of all affordable service ?

Mice don't cost much money at the best of times and i agree with the fuel charges it would make them much more expensive but speaking from experience and the fact i have wanted certain mice so desperatley i've paid that extra to secure something that i have been after for so long.

Just wanted your thoughts and opinions on the subject as its something im considering doing as there are so many mice lovers that are in areas of the uk that are unable to get quality mice as they are not easily accessible if they live no where near a breeder.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

you mean an animal courier. I wouldnt use one for something like mice, a more expensive exotic animal maby. But it would prob still be much cheaper to just pick up or arrange to meet partway or at a show or get others to help in getting animal. 
Ive had and been part of a mouse train on here befor. some mice went form breeder in scotland to another user in scotalnd who took them over the boarder to another user who took them to south england where they gave to another user in that area, i picked them up and brought them home to wales and gave some to the other user by me who brought some. All arranged online and by people who were visiting people in that area anyway. Thats the thing i love about the mouse people there friendly and willing to help.

Also im sure you would need to get a lience and insurance to do animal couring.


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

yeah i agree that for mice this may seem a little like a waste of time and something that may never take off but there must be occassions when someone has a mouse that someone else wants more than anything so instead of spending alot of time and money on travelling themself it maybe an option for this service.
Then again im still not 100% sure just how much mice are in demand especially really rare varieties, i guess it depends on the person.
I would be keen to hear from someone that thinks this maybe a good idea but if the general feeling is its a waste of time then please feel free to jump in and say 

Maybe im just mad but recently i drove 4 hours to collect some mice doing approx 170 mile round trip, i really wanted them and i thought it was worth it. If however i didnt drive i would have been prepared to pay a reasonable but fair amount for someone to do the leg work


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

Going a distance to deliver/pick up mousies is one of the things many of us love to do. I've driven 700 mi. round trip; that was how I got tricolors from a NYC breeder via Rodentfest where they were picked up by a Wisconsin breeder (just east of Minnesota, where I live). I have meeces from Mississippi (Wa-a-a-y down south) delivered by a breeder's long-haul trucker hubby who was dropping off and snagging meeces along the way for a bunch of folks. I both gave and received in that trade. 

I don't think you could make it pay except in gratitude and good karma, but a lot of meeces travel this way. We call it the Mouse Train, whether it involves just one breeder at either end or a series of pick-ups and drop-offs.

No one that I know of even thinks about the monetary value of mousies; but those of us who are serious breeders (most of us, anyway) love to able to share the surplus and see our favorite lines going on and and with other breeders.

Then there way the Great Mousecapade that happened a couple of months ago; a bunch of US breeders got together and shipped meeces from Europe and England; I wasn't involved in that deal, as I live too far out of the way for anyone to deliver for me.

If you wanted to transport meeces for breeders in your neck of the woods, you would probably be welcomed with open arms and warm hearts. You guys don't live all that far apart on your 'little' island. I am envious. :mrgreen:


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm sure you'd get some interest, but only if it was very affordable, ie, just enough to cover the fuel costs. If you're looking at a business venture, I have doubts that it would be viable, even if you included many sorts of small animals. The market is well supplied in animal transport services.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

jammin32 said:


> Maybe im just mad but recently i drove 4 hours to collect some mice doing approx 170 mile round trip, i really wanted them and i thought it was worth it. If however i didnt drive i would have been prepared to pay a reasonable but fair amount for someone to do the leg work


Thats where mouse show come in handy  , you can find a breed with mice you like and arrange to meet them at a closer show. When i got my foundation stock foxes i couldnt go to a show as i was at a dog show that day and the breeder was about 4-5hours away and didnt want ot waite to go to get them, so a breeder near me who was going to the show arranged to pick up my mice from the breeder at the show and i picked them up from them the next day.

Also dont forget the lience (Animal Transport Certificate) and insurance you would need to get.


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## ekimsivad (Sep 20, 2011)

As has already been mentioned, there are a number of dedicated animal couriers already in existence here in the UK.

The laws governing the transportation of livestock mean that to set up as an independent animal courier is not just a case of putting a few cages in the back of your car. You would need to be licenced and registered with DEFRA and your vehicle would have to meet strict guidelines as to its interior design and layout. This would be quite an expensive venture and then, as has already been aluded to, you would need to keep the costs realistic otherwise people would not use your services. I personally know of three such couriers and none of them do this as their full time occupation, there just isn't enough money in it.

I'm old enough to remember having mice sent to me by rail and collecting them from the station masters office. I like many others, will also no doubt have had livestock delivered to them via one of the national couriers in years gone by before the legislation was changed. I've had rabbits delivered by TNT and the driver put them on the seat next to him and kept a check on them all the way through the journey.


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

yeah i can see now its not worth doing so thanks for your comments

There is alot more to it than first met the eye and with mice i figure its a no go 

Back to the drawing board lol


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## Wight Isle Stud (May 19, 2010)

Try this as a drawing Board. I frequently do a 500-700 mile round trip to the northern shows from the Isle of Wight. This distance always involves a hotel the night before the show. Night of the show I just run for home. It costs me about £50 for the ferry, £150 in fuel (Landrover ) 50 hotel , 50 for entries and food. A distance show is £300. Local shows, 300- 400 mile round trip I do on the day and get a much cheaper ferry, no hotel, but its still 150. I would happily pay you to take my mice to shows that I am not going too. There are many other mouse fanciers on the way that you could do same with. All on a private basis. you can take your friends animals to shows with no red tape whatsoever. you would probably pay for your weekend but I bet you only do it once !. I took five fanciers Mice to the first Midlands show last year and never again.


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

why ? sounds good, whats the bad news lol


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

Does the sound of this appeal to anyone who usually makes huge journeys like this ?


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

If you could make a delivery to Australia, I'd be very appreciative. I'd like some large, typey mice... and in terms of genes, some extreme blacks, recessive yellow, um, some satin coats are a must have for any serious breeder, so some of them as well please! Also, splashed and variegated would be handy - we could put together our own tris with the right ingredients. Just wondering if I've left anything out... no that will do for now.

You'll need clever disguises to get the mice through customs as we have a rodent imort ban... I'm thinking you could pass them off as pygmy kangaroos perhaps? Or give them all big hats and dark glasses - no-one would suspect a thing...

Happy to pay handsomely for this delivery. Just let me know when to expect them.


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

MojoMouse said:


> You'll need clever disguises to get the mice through customs as we have a rodent imort ban... I'm thinking you could pass them off as pygmy kangaroos perhaps? Or give them all big hats and dark glasses - no-one would suspect a thing...


Hows this Mojo?


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## besty74 (May 26, 2012)

looks perfectly legit


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

:lol: Haha! that's fantastic!

Completely undectectable - a very cunning disguise! :roll:


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

Lol very good


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## jammin32 (Jun 14, 2012)

Is this mouse train a common thing ? It sounds ideal for people who cant get to shows for various reasons. But how would you come up with a price to do this thats fair and affordable ? Anyone who has done this that can offer some tips would be helpful


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## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

moue trains ine know had been arragned on forums, or by people who know peopel. The moue train fomr scotland to wales was arranged on here, they did a psot saying where the mice were, where they needed to go and people offered saying they could take mice from and to where and on what dates and eventualy thre was enought people to get them to where they needed to go. It was all done for free. Same as the other moue train i picked up some siamese from.
Heres th epost for the scotland to wales one
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6838

When i had a friend pick my mice up form a show i gave her a tenner towards pertol but she wasnt expecting anything as she was going anyway.


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