Moving Goats

[animalsroc4evr]

Hey everyone, I'm new here and have a few questions about moving goats.

A little background: I'm 19 and have 10 goats ranging from 150 lbs to 40 lbs (big mixed pygmies, normal sized pygmies, smaller pygmies, and 1 kiko rescue). We (mom, dad, and me) bought some land in east Tennessee, 46 miles from Knoxville, and We just sold our property in Northeast Florida.

Now for the questions:

Would a rented U-haul with an opening from the front into the back work to move them? We've thought of buying an extended cargo van or a box truck with an opening to the back but they are out of the budget range of moving.

We are waiting until March or April to move them because of the snowy winter, but I'm wondering if they would be able to move up there this coming Dec. How well do they adjust to changing environments? if we have to wait until the winter has subsided that's fine, but the sooner they get up there the sooner they can get adjusted, right?

They are fed Coastal hay in the winter here and on colder nights they get grain. I know that they will need to be fed the grain and hay every day since were we are at it does get snowy at times.

my parents are going up to Tennessee this thanksgiving to find out some things (feed stores and the tractor supply, and vets being a few) and put up fencing. so the fencing will be well done before they get moved.

I know they will need a good house and thick bedding, anything else?

Any advice on moving goats or getting them adjusted is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Gretchen

 

[animalsroc4evr]

or how big of a horse trailer would I need to fit all 10 goats in?

 

[ksalvagno]

You could comfortably move the 10 goats in a 16 foot trailer. Possibly even in a shorter trailer. I have a 16 foot stock trailer so I'm not positive about horse trailer.

As far as winter, make sure the goats have a draft free place to go. They may be a bit cold moving from Florida but they could certainly survive if you keep the deep bedding of straw/hay and make sure no drafts.

I would bring up enough of your current hay to transfer them over to a new hay.

 

[PattySh]

Legally you will have to have health certificates (vet check with paperwork) and possibly some testing done or shots given before traveling across state lines. Check with state vet where you are headed (Tenn)for info. I suspect Tenn isn't as much of an issue as FL for regulations, but may be wrong. Not sure if you would get stopped or not but authorities can confiscate animals at state lines if you don't have paperwork.

 

[animalsroc4evr]

Legally you will have to have health certificates (vet check with paperwork) and possibly some testing done or shots given before traveling across state lines. Check with state vet where you are headed (Tenn)for info. I suspect Tenn isn't as much of an issue as FL for regulations, but may be wrong. Not sure if you would get stopped or not but authorities can confiscate animals at state lines if you don't have paperwork.

Yes I know about the Health/travel certificates, There is an agriculture stop at the Florida/Georgia line, and depending on which way you go there is one more. once out f Georgia there aren't any along the way.I'm going to need 2 (at $40 per certificate), one for the goats and one for the ducks/chickens.

At first my mom and dad said that we shouldn't bother, because we will be passing the station early in the morning (4 a.m. or so) while it's closed (due to all the cut backs...) but when I found out that if you get stopped they could take all your pets I wanted to be safer rather than sorry...


Thanks for letting me know though, a lot of people do not know about the Agriculture stops and that they are mandatory....

Gretchen