Transporting in a car

[greenmulberry]

I will be picking up 3 ewes Friday. I will be moving them in the back of my Honda Element, with the rear seats out, so they will have an area 5.5 feet by 4 feet.

This will be a 4.5 hour drive.

My plan was to put down several beach towels, with a plastic tarp on top, card board on top of the tarp (so it isn't so slick) and then some straw. A couple flakes of hay for snacking. I thought the towels underneath will hopefully soak up any pee that gets past the tarp.

I will put up a barrier between the back and front made with some wire panels from a large dog crate (so I don't end up with a sheep in my lap!).

Should I cover the rear windows? I prefer not to, but I wondered if they would try and jump through them. They are tinted dark if that makes a difference.

Does anyone have any further advice? I am new to sheep, but not to livestock.

 

[elbesta]

I don't know sheep but they should be fine. I once put two calves in the back of a Chrysler Newport with the back seat out, albeit it was a 1965 BOAT. Come to think of it I even put a snow plow on the front of that thing, drove it to the wrecking yard, had over 300k on it in 1980, in Wichita Kansas.....

By the way welcome to BYH

 

[norseofcourse]

greenmulberry - welcome to BYH, and congrats on your new sheep!

I got a young ram lamb last fall and brought him home in my car (inside a large dog crate). It was a 4 hour drive. I had put down a tarp, then two large fabric crate pads (luckily with a waterproof backing), then *lots* of towels on top of the tarp, then the dog crate filled with lots of hay for him to nibble on and absorb the mess.

In 4 hours, one young sheep pees and poops a LOT. The towels were soaked through, and so were the crate pads, I was lucky their lining was waterproof, since the tarp was not waterproof. I don't know if boy sheep pee more than girl sheep, but I would imagine three ewes in 4.5 hours would go at least as much if not more than 1 ram lamb did in 4 hours.

You also have to consider anatomy. A boy pees 'straight down'. Girls squat and their pee kind of... shoots out behind them. If one of your ewes' back end happens to be close enough to the side of your Element when it goes, it's going to go all over the inside side of your car/door, and run down... wherever. I'd protect the inside sides, too, to at least, ummmm, 'butt height' of the ewes

My first thought would be heavy plastic (garbage bags or waterproof tarp), attached with duct tape maybe two feet up the sides. Then lay down a few puppy pads with waterproof backing for more protection. Then a LOT of towels, or even a bag or two of pelleted pine horse bedding, that stuff's really absorbent. Then some straw. Can you tell I tend to go a little overboard? LOL

If you are crossing state lines with the sheep, don't forget to have whatever health papers your state requires, just in case. Good luck!

 

[Baymule]

Sounds like an adventure! Be sure to take pics!

 

[SheepGirl]

Ask the seller if they can withhold water for 12 hours so they don't pee much in your car. They should only pee a little due to the stress.

 

[greenmulberry]

Oh these are good thoughts, I was going to go buy the tarp today so I will get one big enough to go up the sides. I also have an extra bag or two of that pellet bedding I can add.

I plan to drag everything out on the tarp and then toss on the compost.

I am so excited to get my sheep!

 

[greenmulberry]

Well it worked out perfect. They are home.

I bought an extra thick tarp and nothing leaked.

 

[Southern by choice]

and

and

 

[Womwotai]

You at least were smart enough to take pictures. We transported our first sheep in the back of our car and forgot that part! It is quite the story actually: 1 man, 2 dogs and 6 sheep in the back of a car in the middle of a huge storm that included large hailstones. It turns out, hail scares the piss out of sheep. Who knew? That was May of last year and despite the tarp, we still get faint whiffs of eau de sheep from time to time…..

 

[norseofcourse]

greenmulberry - congrats! You have a nice assortment of colors, are you planning on learning to spin?

Did you notice any looks from passing cars during the trip?