To say I expanded his animal population was an understatement. He took it all with a grain of salt, helping me set up pens for the breeder chickens, getting buildings cleaned out to move my goats and get a parlor set up in. He supported me and helped make the transition as easy as possible on both myself and my critters. While I was getting ready to move there were some major things to take into consideration. I did research on all of them and came up with such little information I decided to make something available who are preparing to move with livestock.
I have dairy goats 8 that were in milk at the time and 1 that was pregnant I have 4 boer goat does and 5 yearlings and 7 kids that were at the time still on milk. I also have two livestock guard dogs that are in with the goats 24/7 that had little traveling experience. To make it easiest on them I opted to load them into the trailer with the goats, because that is where they would feel the most comfortable.
Here are some tips and tricks that I used to make it an easy experience on everyone:
Goats the Day Before:
- I began giving the goats an electrolyte solution in their water to help keep them hydrated and healthy during the move. I started the day before so it was already in their system.
- I packed all the goat equipment that I could; first aid supplies, collars, leads, clippers, extra feed buckets. I did not pack the milking stands, milk buckets, teat dip and feed as I would need them to milk the next morning before loading up.
- I checked everyone health wise, if there was someone sick it would be concerning to put them under the stress of moving and I would have to make other arrangements. Check for wheezing, coughing, runny noses, sore legs or a general "offness" in your goats. I have an old boer goat that is 10 years old, she is showing her age and was one of my primary concerns. She seemed healthy and happy and was actually the first one to jump on the trailer!
- My next concern was my pregnant doe, I did not know she was bred until about two months before the move, I did not know when she was due, but I did not think there was a danger of her kidding during the actual move. She was getting a larger bagged udder, but her ligaments were not broke down and she did not act "off" like does do before they kid. I wanted it to be the least stressful it could be for her because I was worried about abortions, miscarriages and all the other scary things that come with pregnancy and stress.
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| My 10 year old Boer doe checking out her new pasture after the move |
- For the chickens I also gave them an electrolyte solution the day before to get it into their system.
- I caught and crated guineas, geese and ducks the night before the move because come morning they would be difficult to gather up. I made sure they had feed and water in the cages as they would have 4 hours without water the next morning. They weren't happy but it was for the best.
- I made sure I had carriers around and adequate room for each bird to travel comfortably. One less thing to worry about the next day.
The day of the Move:
- I made sure the poultry had water and feed for about an hour before I stated putting them in crates.
- While they were eating I fed and milked the goats, I locked them out of the pasture so they were all in the barnyard to make catching and loading easier.
- I also gave my Great Pyrenees a dose of antihistamine to make him tired because he has serious travel anxiety.
- After loading my own belongings into the car and giving the critters a chance to get a drink and finish eating, I began loading.
- I loaded the rest of the stuff I had waited to load, the milk stand, milk buckets, cages that I was taking with me etc..
- I crated the chickens, making sure any that were in crates/cages together were getting a long and not fighting with each other, and started loading the carriers and crates into the back of the truck with a cap. I opened the side windows so they would get ventilation and not over heat.
- After chickens were loaded we began loading the goats. The trailer had a front compartment and I put the kids and yearlings in the front so they wouldn't be in danger of being knocked down, stepped on or beat up by the big goats.
-I loaded the big goats into the back of the trailer, and removed ALL the collars for fear of them getting snagged or tangled with other goats.
-I loaded the livestock guard dogs (the great pyrenees was very nervous and groggy so we had to carry him, not an easy task for a 140 lb dog . . . . ) Once everyone was in the trailer I did not want to keep sitting still. It was time to get on the road.
- I loaded my other two dogs one in the truck that was hooked on the trailer that my boyfriend was driving, and one in the car with me and all my belongings. The third truck was driven by my little brother and he was hauling the chickens, ducks and guineas. The geese were secured in a crate in the back of the truck being hauled by the trailer. I am sure we looked like a funny convoy going down the highway. My life was packed in the trailer, truck and my car. . . . it was on to new beginnings for me and my funny farm!
-We did stop once to check on how the animals were handling everything. Everyone was doing well, settled in and seemed to be pretty calm (including the great Pyrenees Dude, he was sound asleep on the floor of the trailer!)
- The chickens arrived first we had about half an hour to get them settled in before the goats got there. I had helped my boyfriend set up the pens for the chickens a week before. We unloaded crates and began putting chickens where they belonged and gave them water. We put the ducks in a large pen with some of the chickens, I wanted them to free range but first they needed to learn where home was. I did the same with the guineas.
- I gave everyone water and feed and let them get accustomed to their new home.
-By the time the birds had been cared for the goats arrived. I was so happy to see everyone pulled through the trip like champs! We unloaded the adult goats and yearlings first leaving the kids in the trailer for a bit longer because we did not have their pen set up.
- I walked the main guard dog Sydney around the whole fence line so she knew her boundaries and learned where she was guarding. Most of the goats followed me eager to see the new surroundings and discover new things. The yearlings were especially happy to stretch their legs, running and jumping!
- I showed the goats where the brook was to drink out of, all of them were afraid to cross it at first but once they got a drink and figured out the water wasn't going to hurt them they were much happier. The goats went right to town eating the rose bushes that were in their pasture. Everyone was very happy.
After walking my other dogs around the new property and showing them the house I tied them in the front yard so they could adjust to their new home. It was an exhausting adventure, but I was very grateful everything went smoothly. The older doe traveled fine and the pregnant doe did too. We got the pen set up for the bottle babies and they settled in just fine. It is worth taking the time to make sure the animals are okay, happy and adjusted. It's not worth rushing through things and making sure they are not stressed. Other things to consider:
- I moved from one area to a completely new one, which means the feed store I got my chicken feed from, goat grain and dog food from was no longer an option. Prior to moving I made sure I had enough feed for the first week. The last things my animals needed was a change in diet too. I did change it, but bringing familiar feed with me allowed me to change it slowly over time.
- With my house dogs, I made sure I brought them their blankets that they sleep on and their food dishes so they had familiar things to associate with. Moving is stressful on people and we understand what is going on, can you imagine how hard it is to adjust when you were just put into a car and brought to this new place? I kept them on a leash outside with me for a while (4 days) and walked them around the yard until I felt they adjusted enough and understood their boundaries before letting them off lead.
- Watch goats for stress related things even after the move. There was a slight drop (much less than I imagined it would be) in milk production for the first few days after moving, but it came right back up and they began milking more than they were at home!- I checked on the pregnant doe (Joplin) throughout the day and the day after the move. I watched for discharge, heavy panting and any other signs that could indicate she was going into early labor. She did not and exactly a week after the move on my mothers birthday she delivered a healthy full term doeling!
That is everything for now, I will keep everyone updated on the move, the garden planting and the goat/poultry shows I plan on attending. I hope you got something you could use out of this post. Is there anything else special that you feel should be considered before moving with your animals?
