California Red Breeders and Travelling!

[BarredCametLaced]

I have my eyes set on some California Red Lambs... unfortunately they are about 2300 miles away and 400 miles away form my home (although the ones 2300miles away look of better quality). I know that travelling with lambs can be stressful on them, but there are no breeders in NE (New England). I have my heart set on this breed, so if any of you know of some breeders a little close that would be nice!

On the other hand, if that doesn't work out, it would be a 4 day trip driving for 10 hours(5 hours per person). I was looking at ways to keep lambs comfortable during transport and there are not many resources. Any ideas? How much trailer space would be the min. for twenty little lambs? I have a portable fence/coral that would allow them to stretch their legs, and then a deep bed of straw in the trailer. Can classical music calm lambs? There would be frequent stops for feeding and a camera hooked from the truck to the trailer for monitoring. I read somewhere that Bcomplex can help with stress. Any ideas?

If anyone knows of breeders near New England that would be really helpful! I know of Apple Rose Farm in NJ, but that is it.

THANKS

 

[SheepGirl]

Edited, sorry, I posted the wrong link. Here's the right one: http://www.animalagriculture.org/Education/Pamphlets/Livestock Trucking Guide.pdf

 

[goodhors]

You may want to wait to buy until cooler fall weather. That is one
heck of distance to be hauling lambs in the heat. I would suggest
having dividers so there are only 4-5 lambs in several sections down
the trailer. No chance of "pile-on" with overheating and damage to the
bottom lamb. Use wire panel with small holes they CAN NOT get heads
into to hang themselves. Goat panel has 4' squares, is pretty safe and
lets air flow thru in travel.

I posted some suggestions for traveling on the Mini Cheviot thread in
Breeding. Page 3 I think. Iced bedding, travel at night, open sides
on the trailer. No straw bedding, it is REALLY slippery in trailers. I
had a horse fall while standing on it in the moving trailer. Sawdust
dampened or shavings dampened, are just safer.

You also will need to know the State rules for hauling livestock, have
the correct health paperwork IN HAND, for crossing State lines. Western
States may have you stopping at every truck weigh station. Eastern
States have their own rules. Some folks never get looked at, while
others get stopped in EVERY State! Lambs need to be WEARING scapies
tags in their ears. Call the livestock Vet or check online, for rules
and regulations currently in effect. You DO NOT want to get in
trouble with livestock rules. There is no mercy, you could be endangering
their local livestock industry is the common viewpoint. Fines are HIGH.

Truck with Farm Plate is usually not correctly liscensed for going far. Our
State says 150 miles from the home farm is all it can go. Horse show
folks got caught with Farm Plates 3 States away. HUGE FINES, plus had
to get another truck to come haul the trailer home. Hard on the horses
in the trailer, sitting until things got resolved. Driver was wrong, broke
the law the hauling so far. He didn't read the details on Farm Plates, just
was out to save money on the cost of truck liscense, never thought of WHY
those plates cost less!! Law is tricky sometimes, so you have to ask about details.

 

[boykin2010]

Maybe you could contact a private livestock transporter that lives nearby where the sheep are and then they could deliver them. That way it is easier on you. Plus chances are someone would have a large trailer or one with air conditioner.

 

[BarredCametLaced]

what is a farm plate? Also, I was planning to wait a good while; more set on the breed then a specific bunch at the moment. What size trailer would be good for 20 lambs? How much space should a group of four lambs have?

THanks!

 

[BarredCametLaced]

bump

 

[kfacres]

what is a farm plate? Also, I was planning to wait a good while; more set on the breed then a specific bunch at the moment. What size trailer would be good for 20 lambs? How much space should a group of four lambs have?

THanks!

if you don't know what farm plates are, then you won't have to worry about them.

depends on how big your lambs are, as I've never seen a CA red before in person-- but I'm betting not very big. 20 lambs would fit inside a 6x12 trailor quite easy. My parent's have a 6x20- and 20 smaller lambs would fit in the front half quite easy, I used to pack 25 to 30 big lambs on the front half back when I was showing in the beginning of the summer.

Depends on when you have to have these sheep, but transportation usually isn't a big hassle for people as long as you know the right people, and they have room on the trailors going in the right direction. With the Big E coming up, I'm sure there will be sheep people headed to Mass. from nearly every part of the US. But, more than likely, they'll all have full trailors-- so that won't do you much good. It's best to try and arrange for shipping needs in March (Ohio Dorset Sale), May (Ohio May sales), June (MWSRS), or Nov. (NAILE).