Tips on traveling/hauling sheep

[kelsey2017]

HI I am getting ready to go get my sheep tomorrow, in my minivan. I just thought I would go and throw 'em in, it isn't far, only 6 miles. But then I thought, maybe I should ask, what could go wrong? Almost everyone here has already dealt with a full range of sheep behavior, I have not. What if these docile innocent fluffs go berserker on my butt? I really don't want them to be scared in the car and get sick. I don't have any other way to transport them, and I don't have a big enough kennel for them both. I could put the mama in one but I can't imagine that is easy either. So tell me what is wrong with my plan.
Back up to the barn, pick up younger, tamer ewe and put her in, I do believe she will stay in, she is very mellow especially if I give her a little treat. Then pick up mama, I will need help, she is heavy and put her in with her daughter, and again with the treats. Drive home, tops 15 mins if I drive slow. Back up to my fence and lift them out. I really don't think they will use a ramp or jump out, and I do think they would get hurt if they tried to jump, their little legs look so tiny.
Am I in complete denial? What have been your experiences, if you will?

Guys I don't go to town very often but, I promise I will pick up a book on sheep next time I do! Thanks for bearing with me!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Are they incredibly flighty? If not, they'll probably do fine. I would recommend lining your van with a tarp and a blanket on top to absorb pee. Good luck.

Oops, just saw you said they were docile. I'm sure it'll be fine. We use our SUV when we just have to go short distances (on the rare occasion we bring them anywhere). I halter them and lead them up to the back of the vehicle, then lift up their 2 front legs and put them up in the car or on the bumper. Mine usually stay pretty still for me, and then I reach under with one arm under their rear and encourage them to jump up. Sometimes I'll have to lift them, but most times they'll hop right up.

 

[Bossroo]

Have a friend do a video... that should be very entertaining. You will first need to put a very sturdy barrior between the front seat and back of your van. or they will be in your lap or try to go through the front window. It will take at least 2 of you to put the first one in, You will need to close the door, or the first one will jump out. You will then need someone else to man the door and to keep the first sheep in then to open the door while keeping the first one in while 2 others are loading the second one.Then if you are able to manhandle that 2nd one in someone will need to close the door opening immediately. When you arrive home, just open the door and they will jump right out. Expect both of the sheep to treat you to a poo + pee patty batter/cakes all over the back end of your van on the trip home. So have soap, water bucket, scrub brush, shovel handy , roll up your sleeves and enjoy the clean up venture. Seeing your situation the easiest solution is to place a barrior between your seat and back end of the van ( just in case), back up to the sheep pen, catch the first ewe and throw it onto it's side on the ground and tie it's legs securely with a cotton rope. Do the same with the second ewe. Then 2 of you can lift each ewe, one at a time, into the back end ( laying on their sides) and onto a clean tarp or plastic of the floor of the van. Drive home ,remove the ewes onto the ground then untie their legs. Or just untie one ewe at a time and have them just jump out into your corral. They will not hurt their legs as sheep/ lambs jump higher than the van floor when they play. They can easily jump over 3'-4' fences if they wanted to. Enjoy the ride !!!

 

[patandchickens]

Yes, they perfectly well CAN cause a ruckus or jump out, their legs may be tiny but the muscles operating them are not. (The brain is, however, also tiny )

I would suggest that if they will be riding loose (not in crates and with no EXTREMELY SUPER STRONG divider between you and sheep -- a spring-fit dog barrier is not enough) then you should halter them and tie them to something in the van. Preferably something you won't be upset when/if it gets broken off, as sheep are rather strong and sometimes unhelpful.

That way they will not come crashing into the drivers seat or through the windows or through the windshield, which they are perfectly capable of doing if the whim happens to strike them, and as Bossroo says you will be able to put them all in without the already-in ones popping out all the time, and take them out one by one if you are unable to drive the minivan fully into the pen or barn.

Or, borrow XL dog crates.

E.t.a. -- I suggest SEVERAL layers of tarps, pulled partway up the sides of the minivan, with something rigid and somewhat nonskid over top of them if the sheep will be loose rather than crated. Sheep poo almost constantly although they are usually very dry 'berries' that are easy to remove unless stomped into carpeting... HOWEVER sheep's natural reaction to pretty much anything happening is to pee profusely, and they do not care if they're in a vehicle. Also they ahve apparently bottomless bladders so even if the sheep pees before you load it that does not by any stretch of the imagination mean it cannot pee again five minutes later just because it had a scary thought.

Good luck, have fun but not too much fun LOL,

Pat

 

[kelsey2017]

They're home! I showed up to get them and the lady who had them just had surgery yesterday, so her daughters fiance was there unloading hay and I helped with that in exchange for a little help sheep wrangling. Thank goodness too, they are alot heavier than they look! I hog tied the one and then popped mom in and took off. They were living not far from my house so nobody pooped or peed in the van, not like that hasn't happened before from my kids lol! It went very well and they are very sweet little sheeps. They hopped down onto a hay bale and went right in the corral. I couldn't believe how much it worried my horses though, silly beasts! I think they could smell and hear them but couldn't get a good look so they have been blowing and runnin' around like crazy, what a laugh! I don't have a camera but when I can borrow one or carry the computer out there and use the webcam I'll post some pictures. They are truly gross, so no laughing-promise? Thank god they are not pregnant I would not know what to do with them. Big smelly furry things but oh so sweet, I am so happy I can give them a good life now!

 

[boothcreek]

Great that it went well. I just have a little hatchback ford focus and I pick up sheep with it. I just Line the trunk with tarp and a old dog blanket.
Then I put a collar on the sheep and ty it with a rope onto one of the latches my back seats are mounted on and there we go.
My big(and by far not tame) Black bellie Ram with the 30"+ horns got to go for an 8 hour ride that way. He layed down resting his head on the backseat staring out the front window. Only thing I worried about was him turning his head too fast and taking out a window with those horns of his. Luckily he had a very good Idea about how big his headgear was.

Gotten several sheep with that method, never had any issues, they seem to lay down once you get moving.