Sort of an emergency. Transporting pregnant pygmys

[jimdanforth]

I am buying 5 very pregnant pygmies. In fact the owner lost one the other day during delivery due to extreme heat we had last week.
Owner is recently disabled, and needs to sell them pronto. I need to transport them about 75 miles.
I would make multiple trips, but 150 round trip adds up quick.
Any special considerations? I would rather wait until they kid, but that's not an option due to seller's condition.

 

[jimdanforth]

I should add, heat was 104 last week, and 84 this week. So I'm not as worried about heat during transport as general stress.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

How are you going to transport them? Just drive easy, no sudden turns/stops/starts/etc. Make sure they don't go off feed or water. Probably wouldn't hurt to give them a litte Probios either.

 

[jimdanforth]

We're discussing that now. I have a flatbed trailer that I can put 2 cages on. Big enough for 2 does to be comfortable in each cage. My pickup has a toolbox/shell that could carry the other. I'm thinking the more rotund would be best in the truck, as the trailer would have a sitffer suspension.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

We're discussing that now. I have a flatbed trailer that I can put 2 cages on. Big enough for 2 does to be comfortable in each cage. My pickup has a toolbox/shell that could carry the other. I'm thinking the more rotund would be best in the truck, as the trailer would have a sitffer suspension.

Just take it easy on the trip and they should do fine. Most goats handle transport ok, especially if you're being easy with the driving.

Let us know how it goes and when they kid!

 

[cmjust0]

I got three full-sized adult boer-cross does in the back of a short-bed pickup with a camper shell on it with plenty of room to spare. They weren't bred, but...well, fetuses (fetii?) don't take up much room anyway.

If you have a camper shell, what's the problem with chucking all three in the bed of the truck?

If I've misunderstood and you *don't* have a camper shell...I'd probably recommend borrowing a buddy's camper shell.

 

[jodief100]

I put 4 large kiko does (about 150 lbs each) in my Ranger with a camper shell. I put 6 small soffit vents on each side and froze two buckets of water for the trip.

They were fine.

 

[cmjust0]

They pretty much just lay down for the duration anyway, once you get moving..

One thing I do that I feel like kinda helps it to lay a section of field fence down flat in the bed of the truck (it's cut to fit the length) whenever I gotta transport somebody.. I throw in a little straw in on top of that just to take the edge off when they lay down.. If they happen to stand up, the fence wires give their slick hooves something to grab onto.. Otherwise, they may as well be on glass -- especially given that I have a drop-in bedliner. Those things are SLICK.

I got that idea from seeing so many cattle trailers with welded-wire cattle panels nailed down flat on the floor. "Moo mud" gets pretty slick on wood, and the last thing you want is someone going down in a crowded trailer on a long haul.

 

[jodief100]

One thing I do that I feel like kinda helps it to lay a section of field fence down flat in the bed of the truck (it's cut to fit the length) whenever I gotta transport somebody.. I throw in a little straw in on top of that just to take the edge off when they lay down.. If they happen to stand up, the fence wires give their slick hooves something to grab onto..

I am going to steal that idea! I have carpet remnets in mine, covered in straw. I have to replace them pretty frequently.

 

[cmjust0]

I am going to steal that idea! I have carpet remnets in mine, covered in straw. I have to replace them pretty frequently.

Have at it!

I drove two nails in the side of my barn, so when I'm done, I just slide the section of fence out and hang it up on the nails.