Moving checklist.

[messybun]

Well y’all, I’ve seen so many people moving I wanted to jump in the boat. Actually not exactly. My family has been thinking of moving for a while so some of my family members could breath better. Which means there is a ton of stuff to consider and work out and straighten. Maybe not for years, maybe we’ll start next month. Not to mention exactly where to? Anyway, I wanted to start a thread to get some advice and talk laws and basically a checklist. Not sure if we’re even actually moving or when or a million things. But this is a good place to start.

First thoughts, we’d be moving back to central Texas or Arizona. Got some great friends and family in both. We have animals and so let’s start with them. The all-knowing internet says you need a vet check and permits to move animals across state borders, is this true? My fam has moved all over and traveled with a dog, but we’ve never done it with goats and possibly birds, so whole new world. What type of trailer would I need for 7 goats? 5 are dwarf breeds for reference. Do you actually need vaccination records and everything to cross state lines, and how do you do that if your animals either haven’t been vaccinated or you did it yourself, so no records?
How do most of y’all get the land setup or where do you store the animals while getting the property set up for them? How would that work, getting my animals from point A to point B halfway across the state?

Could my goats even survive in desert? Would it be possible to move two geese into the desert and them still have a good quality of life? It may sound like a silly question, but they goats have been born and raised in coastal farmland.
What are the requirements of desert living for animals? We’ve done goats for 8 years, but I’m afraid desert will be like having to relearn everything. What type of shelters will I need, what type of water troughs? How do I figure out my land’s agricultural units?

That’s a lot, so I’m going to leave it at that for now.

 

[Alaskan]

Well...

Central Texas isn't a good choice if the breathing issue is allergies and asthma. One of the worst places actually... lots of pollen, almost all year.

As to papers... if you are within the state, it shouldn't be an issue...

But yes... once you cross state lines, it is a whole different thing (also, I think there are some rules as to moving some kinds of livestock over county/burough lines).

Easiest thing, is call your local agriculture extension office and ask.

As to the rest, with moving....you can go over to @Baymule 's page and see how she is handling it. But essentially, you have to drive back and forth to set things up before you bring the animals, OR have a traveling setup of pens/fence. So, cattle panels, or electric fence (but ONLY if you KNOW they will contain the animals).

When my horses went from Texas to Alaska they came in a big horse trailer, one stall in the horse trailer held the stuff for a temporary electric fence. When they would stop the horses had a turn out in the tiny electric pen.

Goats are smaller so easier to haul, but harder to fence than horses. I have driven 8 hours with 2 does and one kid in the back of my midsized SUV. That worked fine... but no way could you get 7 to fit in an SUV.

Taking goats to auction my sisters put goats in a huge dog crate in a truck bed... or have a truck bed with a camper top. But that is for auction... which is i think about 1 hour for my baby sis, and 2 hours for older sis. So, a little crowding for such a short period is fine.

 

[Baymule]

For crossing state lines, you need a vet to test your animals for various diseases and issue a health certificate. Moving animals to Texas, you need a brucellosis test, which may take weeks to get results back, so don’t wait until the last minute. You can move within your state, usually without health papers.

I’m moving 125 miles south of where I am now. I’ve been rehabbing the house, moving outside stuff, taking a load every time I go. House is move in ready, took load of furniture last weekend, will finish cleaning out this house this coming weekend. I still have lots of outside stuff to move!

For moving my sheep, they will go in a stock trailer for a 3 hour trip. 2dogs can ride in truck with me. I’ll have to make another trip for other 2 dogs, personally conflict!

Thinking about throwing up some cow panel pens and a cow panel hoop shelter so I can unload them. Cow panels will contain sheep and Anatolians. I have 4 horse panels that Trip, male GP, can’t jump, until I can build a backyard fence with hot wire, to keep him in.

Moving here 7 years ago took months because I redid the interior of the house and worked with a neighbor volunteer to build a backyard fence and a fence for horses. I was in no hurry, time was not an issue.

If moving long distance, making overnight stops, I’d suggest buying a 16’ stock trailer. That would be plenty of room for 7 goats. Feed and water when you stop. Put geese in a cage that you can feed and water them in, in back of truck. I’d block wind with a piece of plywood wired to cage, possibly a piece on top too if sun would be beating down on them. I wouldn’t take goats or geese out at stops.

What state are you in?

 

[messybun]

For crossing state lines, you need a vet to test your animals for various diseases and issue a health certificate. Moving animals to Texas, you need a brucellosis test, which may take weeks to get results back, so don’t wait until the last minute. You can move within your state, usually without health papers.

I’m moving 125 miles south of where I am now. I’ve been rehabbing the house, moving outside stuff, taking a load every time I go. House is move in ready, took load of furniture last weekend, will finish cleaning out this house this coming weekend. I still have lots of outside stuff to move!

For moving my sheep, they will go in a stock trailer for a 3 hour trip. 2dogs can ride in truck with me. I’ll have to make another trip for other 2 dogs, personally conflict!

Thinking about throwing up some cow panel pens and a cow panel hoop shelter so I can unload them. Cow panels will contain sheep and Anatolians. I have 4 horse panels that Trip, male GP, can’t jump, until I can build a backyard fence with hot wire, to keep him in.

Moving here 7 years ago took months because I redid the interior of the house and worked with a neighbor volunteer to build a backyard fence and a fence for horses. I was in no hurry, time was not an issue.

If moving long distance, making overnight stops, I’d suggest buying a 16’ stock trailer. That would be plenty of room for 7 goats. Feed and water when you stop. Put geese in a cage that you can feed and water them in, in back of truck. I’d block wind with a piece of plywood wired to cage, possibly a piece on top too if sun would be beating down on them. I wouldn’t take goats or geese out at stops.

What state are you in?

We’d be moving from NC to Midwest.
I have been reading your journal, and getting exhausted just from reading!
Part of the problem is we’d have to do it all in one go, driving back and forth wouldn’t be an option.

 

[messybun]

Well...

Central Texas isn't a good choice if the breathing issue is allergies and asthma. One of the worst places actually... lots of pollen, almost all year.

As to papers... if you are within the state, it shouldn't be an issue...

But yes... once you cross state lines, it is a whole different thing (also, I think there are some rules as to moving some kinds of livestock over county/burough lines).

Easiest thing, is call your local agriculture extension office and ask.

As to the rest, with moving....you can go over to @Baymule 's page and see how she is handling it. But essentially, you have to drive back and forth to set things up before you bring the animals, OR have a traveling setup of pens/fence. So, cattle panels, or electric fence (but ONLY if you KNOW they will contain the animals).

When my horses went from Texas to Alaska they came in a big horse trailer, one stall in the horse trailer held the stuff for a temporary electric fence. When they would stop the horses had a turn out in the tiny electric pen.

Goats are smaller so easier to haul, but harder to fence than horses. I have driven 8 hours with 2 does and one kid in the back of my midsized SUV. That worked fine... but no way could you get 7 to fit in an SUV.

Taking goats to auction my sisters put goats in a huge dog crate in a truck bed... or have a truck bed with a camper top. But that is for auction... which is i think about 1 hour for my baby sis, and 2 hours for older sis. So, a little crowding for such a short period is fine.

My family and I have actually lived in central TX for about 7 years off and on. It is far better than here because it doesn’t have the mold problems or as much grass.
If you know a better place for allergies, that doesn’t get cold, I’m all ears.

To my advantage, my goats are middle aged to old, so that does help a little with escaping. Not much, but a little.

 

[Alaskan]

Well.... the drier it is, the better you will be in regard to allergies.

So further west Texas, or far north Texas, or south Texas (but away from the coast) are very dry, so better in regards to pollen.

I forgot to mention... for the climate change... especially if it will be huge... is move when it isn't so bad. So... we moved the horses to Alaska in the summer. That way they had plenty of time to acclimate and grow in winter hair before winter.

Moving to the desert you would want to move when the temps aren't "scary" way hotter than where you are now. So.. late fall, winter, or early spring.

 

[Alaskan]

And...if you call your vet... they should know, or be able to look up, what paperwork and tests you will need... hopefully.

 

[messybun]

And...if you call your vet... they should know, or be able to look up, what paperwork and tests you will need... hopefully.

A whole new adventure in itself. We don’t have a livestock vet. The nearest one doesn’t like to (when I say don’t like I mean they don’t) take on new patients either. That may have changed recently, so I’ll have to call around. The best bet is to wait for the once or twice a year the mobile vet comes around, but it’s a long shot to get in. Which means my goats have never seen a vet. On the good side an alpaca farm moved in down the road, so I may have to wait when they get a vet out and see if they’ll do a second stop here.

 

[Alaskan]

A whole new adventure in itself. We don’t have a livestock vet. The nearest one doesn’t like to (when I say don’t like I mean they don’t) take on new patients either. That may have changed recently, so I’ll have to call around. The best bet is to wait for the once or twice a year the mobile vet comes around, but it’s a long shot to get in. Which means my goats have never seen a vet. On the good side an alpaca farm moved in down the road, so I may have to wait when they get a vet out and see if they’ll do a second stop here.

Well yes.... that super sucks.

Sounds like the alpaca farm might be able to help.

 

[Baymule]

The goats would travel well in a stock trailer. A hay bag, feed and water when you stop for the night and padlock the gate because people are stupid.

How many miles, how many days?

It can be done all in one trip. Goats might have to live in a small temporary pen for awhile, but they would be ok.