Chick Carrying Vehicles

These dual-purpose vehicles are designed to alternate between the transportation of eggs and day-old chicks from hatcheries, under very complex environmental conditions. These insulated bodies are required to operate at different temperatures for each application: +18ºC for eggs and +24 ºC for chicks. A combination of heating, cooling and ventilation systems are necessary to minimise the discomfort and mortality of chicks. A number of health and safety features as well as load restraint systems are available.

Key Features of Chick Carriers:

• A bulkhead-mounted refrigeration unit or a combination of heat and air conditioning is used to control temperature
• An air exchange system is integrated into the design, whereby the hot or cold air is mixed with ambient air to the correct temperature in a plenum chamber at the front bulkhead, which is then pumped around the body. There are several different methods of achieving the critical temperature from basic manual controls to very sophisticated electronic systems
• Load restraint is usually fitted with width restrictors to accommodate different loading configurations
• Loading is carried out from the rear via double doors but an optional side door can be included in the design for emergency off-loading
• Internal fumigation and external wheel disinfectant systems are included to comply with health and safety legislation and to minimise the risk of infection or cross-contamination.