# Moving goats to Kentucky



## Bonnie_Brook_Mom (Nov 28, 2009)

My husband (Farmer Mack) & I are moving soon to Kentucky.  We want to take 2 of our goats with us.  Does anyone know if there are any laws in Kentucky for transporting livestock, ie:  mandatory immunizations for that state?  Do they ever stop anybody to check?  Any advise for making their trip & transition to their new home any easier?  Anybody from Kentucky?  Nice to know others from the group down there!  Thank you all.


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## Roll farms (Nov 28, 2009)

Most states require you to have a health certificate from a vet stating they're healthy, before you cross state lines...and a scrapie tag or tat in their ear.

Kentucky parasites may be worse (due to milder climate) than your goats are used to...I'd be diligent in checking their worm loads.

Bring a bag or two of the feed and a few bales of the hay that they're used to, and change them over gradually to the new feed / hay you find in KY.


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

Roll farms said:
			
		

> Kentucky parasites may be worse (due to milder climate) than your goats are used to...I'd be diligent in checking their worm loads.


First thing we'll be doing once we settle in is to order new hens. I've had as many as 2 dozen hens that clean up behind the goats so to speak. I've always given them routine worming medicine. There are also a few natural killers of parasites that i use, but the hens seem to do the best at eating the parasites.


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

I bought some goats in SC and transported them to NC.
I just drove over the state line and didn't think anything of it..LOL

I threw them in the trailer and moved on.   When I got them to their new home I fed no grain, just good hay and pasture and let them adapt to their new home.....they adapt very well of course if given some time to unwind after a trailer haul.

After 1 week I hit them with all shots and wormed etc.

You should do fine.  

Is it a long haul?   Most I hauled goats was about 3 hrs. or so in the trailer.


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

FarmerChick said:
			
		

> I bought some goats in SC and transported them to NC.
> I just drove over the state line and didn't think anything of it..LOL
> 
> I threw them in the trailer and moved on.   When I got them to their new home I fed no grain, just good hay and pasture and let them adapt to their new home.....they adapt very well of course if given some time to unwind after a trailer haul.
> ...


shh exactly how i feel about transporting goats across state lines. My angora even has some bling bling as i call it, an ear tag. and goats are very adaptable when it comes to environment and food

yes 16 hours non stop, packing food hay water and a fine bed of pine shavings to lay on for my 2 studs  both to mellow to be studly Rasta goat and little Orion his son


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

16 hrs. non stop....yikes---I feel for you!!

When I transported my horse from PA to NC it was like 10-11 hrs.  Hired a hauler to do it since I had to move the house and stuff and I didn't want to deal with the horse.  He was brought down like a week later from one boarding stable to his new one in NC.     

They had him bedded on straw, they stopped to give water, let him eat hay the whole way down....he did fine!

I am sure your goats will do fine.  I would just stop to check every now and then and be sure all is OK in the trailer...other than that, everyone should handle the trip well.


Are you all excited to be moving to Kentucky....such a long way from NH.
(I had a vacation home in NH--great state, loved it)


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

FarmerChick said:
			
		

> 16 hrs. non stop....yikes---I feel for you!!
> 
> When I transported my horse from PA to NC it was like 10-11 hrs.  Hired a hauler to do it since I had to move the house and stuff and I didn't want to deal with the horse.  He was brought down like a week later from one boarding stable to his new one in NC.
> 
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I'm going with hiring some one else to load ship and unload our things and I'll transport the goats. bad back, . i figure when the dog needs walking the goats will need fresh water and some food. they can munch on a couple of bails of hay on the way.


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

oh they should do great.  It is a long haul but at least when it is over--then it is over and you are at your new home!


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## Bonnie_Brook_Mom (Nov 29, 2009)

Thank you all for your advise.  This will be fun!!  We'll have to give catnip to the cats,  dramimine to the dog,   do goats get carsick too?  I'll have a beer when we get there!


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

FarmerChick said:
			
		

> Are you all excited to be moving to Kentucky....such a long way from NH.
> (I had a vacation home in NH--great state, loved it)


I'll miss New Hampshire, wont miss the endless winters, will miss my White Mountains. As for moving to Kentucky I have to quote Buddy Epsom in the Beverly hillbillies "Wee doggies"


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

Bonnie_Brook_Mom said:
			
		

> Thank you all for your advise.  This will be fun!!  We'll have to give catnip to the cats,  dramimine to the dog,   do goats get carsick too?  I'll have a beer when we get there!


And rely on Mother Natures finest to prevent road rage rotfl


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## Roll farms (Nov 29, 2009)

Your wife asked if there were requirements...I assumed she wanted to know so you could be 'on the up and up'...

I myself have moved goats from IN to OH and MI w/ no health certificates...so I'm not going to preach at you.   

Just to let you know the implications, which I knew and was willing to accept when I did it because these were low value goats I was moving.

*If* you do get stopped (and that's a longish haul) and you get a cop in a bad mood, you may lose your critters, or get fined.

All of the ones I've moved across state lines w/ no health certs. have had scrapie tags or tats though...I'd think they'd be more lenient if you at least met part of the criteria.  (Tags but no papers as opposed to nothing at all).

When I'm moving more valuable stock, I do get the health papers (which are a joke sometimes, I can call my vet and she'll fill one out even if she's never seen the goat in question).

So yes, you can travel with nothing, so long as you're willing to accept the consequences on the rare chance you're stopped and asked for their paperwork.


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## FarmerMack (Nov 29, 2009)

*If* you do get stopped (and that's a longish haul) and you get a cop in a bad mood, you may lose your critters, or get fined.

 my angora is tagged and I have vet plates and usually say a lot of yes and officers, because i was an MP in the and i know that a cops job is thankless one  and i drive like an old man cause i r one hehe


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

LOL I hear ya on the wintertime there.  When we bought a house on Lake Ashelot (or lake ashmere, can't remember the name..lol)----the realator SWORE to my Dad there was a lake out there...the big white giant field was a lake....haha....Dad said come spring there better be a lake out there and not a field of grass.   Snow so deep you just couldn't tell it was a lake or not.

And he prayed the outside of the house was nice also...but the snow piled on the outside made an exterior inspection impossible.  When all that snow was gone come spring, found out the porch was horrible and rotted...lol...ahh, the things you discover under snow...lol


You will enjoy KY....the South rules!


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

yea when you haul a good sized trailer with animals inside you best not be speeding or wreckless.....lol

when I haul my horses or anything else, I am soooo careful!


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## Bonnie_Brook_Mom (Nov 29, 2009)

Well, thank you all for the useful information.  We will of course be very careful, & at least, unlike the other "kids"  the goats wont be asking us to stop at McDonalds every 10 miles!!  I'm am so looking forward to NOT having to dig out from under 18 inches of snow every week!


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## FarmerChick (Nov 29, 2009)

Safe Trip!

and when it is over, let us know how it all went for you!


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## currycomb (Nov 30, 2009)

he he he, snow doesn't get deep, but the ice is murder!! what part of ky? we are in so. ill, just 70 miles from paducah ky. welcome. oh fyi, ky does require ear tags (if stopped)


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## SweetDreams (Nov 30, 2009)

Yay! Another Kentucky person to annoy on here 

Regardless, here in KY you will need tags, and depending on what part of the state you are moving to, be careful about transporting w/o tags.  Western KY isn't too strict, but the closer you get to the major cities, the more you need to watch out. Once they are settled into your property, all is good. And it doesn't sound like you will be worrying about selling at the stockyards,.....ever.....so, there is even less to worry about. 

Just keep em' fed and happy. And be ready for people to ask to buy them every now and then....

Best of Luck with the Move!


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## cmjust0 (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm from Kentucky also.  

Here's a link to the law on livestock entry into Kentucky .  

Specifically, here's the goat part..  I've highlighted what I think would apply to someone who owns/breeds goats and is moving to the commonwealth..




> Section 6. Goats. (1) General requirements for entry.
> 
> (a) *Goats entering Kentucky for *sale except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, exhibition, *breeding*, or feeding *purposes shall meet the requirements established in subsections (2) and (3) of this section.*
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> ...


Do with that what you will.  

I know people who bring them in by the trailerload from all over hell and half of Georgia with no health papers, no permits, no nuthin..  They open the trailer gate and let them loose, along with whatever else they were carrying.  

In a way, that works to your advantage because you wouldn't really be doing anything that lots of other people haven't done if you simply bring them without asking anyone.  On the other hand.....there are a lot of really diseased, unhealthy goats running in Kentucky pastures from just that very practice.  Lax enforcement of livestock import rules is definitely a double edged sword.

My advice is that once you get them here, keep them close and -- if you don't already have them -- develop and practice good strong biosecurity measures.  When you get to fraternizing with your new neighbors who own goats, you just never know what might be coming in on their tire treads, boots, clothing, etc..  

So...where in Kentucky are you putting down new roots?


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## cmjust0 (Nov 30, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> Roll farms said:
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Kentucky doesn't have a goat parasite problem...indeed, Kentucky has some of the finest goat parasites in the world!

Seriously...I'm not going to get into the debate over natural vs. chemical wormers or whatever, but I don't know anybody personally who would dare try to raise goats in Kentucky on natural wormers alone..  In fact, most folks I know have a hard enough time keeping parasites at bay using lots and lots of some of the spendiest chemical anthelmintics modern science has to offer.  

Safe Guard doesn't really work at all..  Ivomec works better than Safe Guard, but there's a fair amount of resistance to it, too..  I know people who lost goats this year to parasites even after being dosed orally with pour-on Cydectin numerous times.  

Just sayin...parasites are a constant, looming threat to Kentucky's goats, so be prepared.  Forewarned is forearmed.


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## Bonnie_Brook_Mom (Dec 6, 2009)

OK You guys are scaring me!   We'll just have to sneak them in at the border, and take our chances till we get there, then worry about complying with local laws then.  I haven't been able to find a goat vet up here in NH.  I'm sure there is probably more available in KY than NH.   You've all given us very useful information.  All Rasta goat has is a herd tag from somewhere in Massachusetts, & his son got nothing!  For all who inquired we just came back from a scouting mission in Kentucky & have bought a 4 acre plot of land that was subdivided from a former farm in Lincoln county, near Stanford!   Yeah!!!  No all we need is a house to put on it!  LOL we'll have a goat shack built before WE ever have a house.   We just had our first snow yesterday, I am so looking forward to leaving that behind!  & to all you (soon to be) fellow Kentuckians, thank you for the warm (key word there) welcome!


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## FarmerChick (Dec 7, 2009)

Congrats on the land!!

Are you building or maybe buying a pre-fab modular home?


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## FarmerMack (Dec 7, 2009)

FarmerChick said:
			
		

> Congrats on the land!!
> 
> Are you building or maybe buying a pre-fab modular home?


We are thinking of putting a prefab modular home on it. There seems to be 3 companies in the Stanford area that manufacture them.


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## cmjust0 (Dec 7, 2009)

Bonnie_Brook_Mom said:
			
		

> For all who inquired we just came back from a scouting mission in Kentucky & have bought a 4 acre plot of land that was subdivided from a former farm in Lincoln county, near Stanford!
> 
> ...
> 
> to all you (soon to be) fellow Kentuckians, thank you for the warm (key word there) welcome!


Not to burst your bubble, but there was about 1/2in of snow on the ground when I left this morning and Friday night's low at my house was about 17 degrees.  

The old, oft heard saying around here is.....if you don't like the weather in Kentucky, wait about 10 minutes and it'll change.  

Stanford...if you guys enjoy fishing and boating, there's a new lake down there called Cedar Lake.  It's small, with the focus being on fishing instead of watersports.  I haven't been there, but a buddy of mine said it was really, really nice.  They're pulling some monster largemouth out of there already and it's only been in commission for a few years.


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## FarmerMack (Dec 7, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Bonnie_Brook_Mom said:
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I checked out that lake as it is at the end of the road we will be on. As for the bubble a 1/2 an inch of snow is nothing an annoyance in N.H.. The difference is a 1/2"  is only the beginning of a long long winter. I spent time in the south and mid Atlantic in the Army. When your winter is just getting over the winter in N.H. will just be kicking in full force. The snow banks around my house and driveway were 20-30 feet last winter. the winter itself doesnt end until mid april if we're lucky, then it's rain rain rain, and after that black flies. Black flies unlike mosquito dont just suck blood, they take bites out of you , they are so bad the named a season for them. Summer is 2-4 weeks in late july/August, before you had back to winter again


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## FarmerChick (Dec 7, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> FarmerChick said:
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Pre-fabs are wonderful and right now there are deals out on homes everywhere...plus they go up in like 30 days.....haha....which is wonderful vs. waiting 6 months..LOL

Hope you find the home of your dreams.   We have tons of pre-fabs around NC....Tony and I love to walk thru the homes and see what is out there.   They make them so nice now!!!!


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## FarmerChick (Dec 7, 2009)

OMG those little black fly no-see-ums in NH are horrifying.

Dad had to work on the porch since it rotted under the snow finally---and he had to get one of those bee hats...wtih netting.  The flies will eat you alive literally....ugh...don't miss those suckers one bit!!!   You almost can't leave any body part exposed, or it is lunch.


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## cmjust0 (Dec 7, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> I checked out that lake as it is at the end of the road we will be on.


Nice!  

Hey, you wanna buy a bassboat?!?   I have one for sale -- cheap!  Haven't had time to use it since we moved out to the farm and got GOATS.       



			
				FM said:
			
		

> As for the bubble a 1/2 an inch of snow is nothing an annoyance in N.H.. The difference is a 1/2"  is only the beginning of a long long winter. I spent time in the south and mid Atlantic in the Army. When your winter is just getting over the winter in N.H. will just be kicking in full force. The snow banks around my house and driveway were 20-30 feet last winter. the winter itself doesnt end until mid april if we're lucky, then it's rain rain rain, and after that black flies. Black flies unlike mosquito dont just suck blood, they take bites out of you , they are so bad the named a season for them. Summer is 2-4 weeks in late july/August, before you had back to winter again


Um...you win.   

Getting 1/2" is just an annoyance here, too, but I really can't remember the last time we had more than 8-10" of snow.  Heck, we plant sweetcorn in early April and it's usually safe to plant tomatoes in early May..  First decent frost isn't usually until late September or the first of November.  It was mid November this year, but we had too much rain during the summer...our tomatoes were DEAD by August, before they ever really started coming on nicely.  

Usually can get a pretty good garden around here, though.


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## FarmerMack (Dec 7, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> FarmerMack said:
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i will be looking when i get there, selling my jon boat and motor here


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## cmjust0 (Dec 7, 2009)

Well hey...that's kind of a neat coincidence..  At 16', mine trailers more like a jon-boat, but it'll still skip along pretty doggone good w/ a 70hp.

PM some time me if you think you might be interested in the details..


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## FarmerMack (Dec 7, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Well hey...that's kind of a neat coincidence..  At 16', mine trailers more like a jon-boat, but it'll still skip along pretty doggone good w/ a 70hp.
> 
> PM some time me if you think you might be interested in the details..


I'm used to my little elec. motor clipping along at walking speed. in fact last spring i was on a lake up here one morning at sunrise fishing for rainbow trout when 10 ducks passed me LOL, they did walk across the lake for me as they heard whirrrrrr, and i guess they got tired of doing circles around me. LOL 

caught an 18" rainbow that came up off the bottom like a log as the water was 45 degree, tastiest trout i've ever eaten


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## cmjust0 (Dec 7, 2009)

Not a whole lot of trout around here.  The KDFWR stocks them in certain lakes, streams, and spillways at certain times of the year, but the water's generally just too warm for long-term survival.

Smallmouth, though..    Pound for pound, there's just no better freshwater gamefish around, IMHO.  I live somewhat near Elkhorn creek here in central Kentucky, and I used to love wading it after work during the summers..  Another casualty of farming and raising goats...   

Anyway, the Elkhorn really has some pretty good smallie fishin'.  I'd just grab a little ultralight spinning reel with a limber 5' rod, a couple of roostertail inline spinners...maybe a tiny topwater bait for the occasional spot of still water...and have myself a big ol' time catching smallies, rock bass, and bluegill..  I always found that the current really presented a challenge.

Boy oh boy...I sure do miss fishing sometimes.  I haven't even bothered to buy a license in two years.  :/


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## FarmerMack (Dec 7, 2009)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> Not a whole lot of trout around here.  The KDFWR stocks them in certain lakes, streams, and spillways at certain times of the year, but the water's generally just too warm for long-term survival.
> 
> Smallmouth, though..    Pound for pound, there's just no better freshwater gamefish around, IMHO.  I live somewhat near Elkhorn creek here in central Kentucky, and I used to love wading it after work during the summers..  Another casualty of farming and raising goats...
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I'm diabled so the 5.00 for a license is another plus as our fee is 37 for in state. and the fact Kentucky does a husband and wife deal is even better. Small mouth are my favorite warm water fish i love a fish that will dance on the water for me... but the any water with fighting fish is good in my book. even farmers need to take time out to fish it's good for the soul


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## cmjust0 (Dec 10, 2009)

By the way...it's a balmy 21 degrees accompanied by a rather stiff breeze..  And when I say rather stiff, I mean it'll flat out saw you in half.  The low tonight is being forecast at 13 degrees.  



Wife says the goats need a fully enclosed, insulated room in the barn...with a woodstove.


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## no nonsense (Dec 10, 2009)

Following the rules is not all that difficult, despite the complicated sounding language. They really are there for a reason. Someone has already been nice enough to do your research for you, now all you have to do is follow it. It's not that difficult to find a veterinarian who can give you a health certificate. Any large animal veterinarian can do it. Call the New Hampshire Dairy Goat Assn for suggestions on vets who treat their members' goats, if you feel that you must have a "goat vet". Call the NH Department of Agriculture for TB and brucellosis testing. If you had been on the up and up all along, you'd have already filled most of the requirements, with your importing goats from Massachusetts. Both MA and NH have been very strict recently with offenders, and very lenient with those who cooperate and show that are trying to follow the rules. I have been known to report people who have not. I feel that I go through the trouble. Why should they get away with flaunting the rules? Why should I go to the trouble of ensuring that my animals are healthy, and protecting the health of the other herds in state, when others don't have the same consideration? Scrapie is a big concern in recent years by the USDA. You don't want the feds on you, if they happen to find out that you're traffiking in untested animals.


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## cw (Dec 10, 2009)

i am from greensburg ky where you moving to?
as far as the goats i dont know, i ll find ourt though


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## Bonnie_Brook_Mom (Dec 10, 2009)

We'll be moving near Stanford, & not soon enough!   Too much snow up here already!


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## cw (Dec 11, 2009)

where abouts is stanford?


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## cmjust0 (Dec 11, 2009)

Stanford, Kentucky. 

I've never been there, but it looks like a neat place.


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## cw (Dec 11, 2009)

oh its lincoln co, i knew that its just 2 counties away, i believe there is a lot of amish in that country as well, its really nice that way as well,  off the beaten path a bit


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