Traveling with NDs

[Wishin2BElswheyr]

Hello everyone,
Thanks in advance for any advice anyone has.
We are moving halfway across the country in about a week. A total of about 1300miles.
We have 2 ~9month Nigerian Dwarf gals. They are 41 pounds a piece. We don't have a livestock trailer...so our plan is to get 2 x-large plastic dog kennels and put some bedding in the bottom. We called our vet and he said we shouldn't need any sedatives for them. That we just need to give them probios when we get them settled in. He also said to make sure they have hay and water in the kennels. (Any ideas on what to use for hay feeders, so they can't poop on the hay?) We plan to face the kennels toward eachother so they can see eachother.
Anyone have any other suggestions for us? The only other time they've been in the car, they were just little gals and they sat on the back seat for an hour, and then we used a wire dog kennel for 15minutes to transport them to get disbudded.

 

[SheepGirl]

This is how I transport my sheep to my school for a petting zoo (10/15 minutes), to our town's carnival for a petting zoo (10/15 minutes), and to the fair to be on display in the It's Fiber Optics! exhibit (20/30 minutes). It's an extra large dog kennel (from when we had Bullmastiffs) that is bungee corded down to the bed of our truck. Sometimes they appreciate bedding, but most times we forego the bedding and they don't really care. They do prefer to lay down while en route, but in the case of the following pictures, my ewe (the ewe that is also in my avatar) didn't lay down because she had her lamb in there with her (but he did lay down).

The ewe weighs about 150-160 lbs and the lamb weighs about 30 lbs. I can also fit this ewe and her 130 lb daughter in here with no problem. I think your goats would be happier to be in the same kennel with each other rather than separated (even if they can see each other). They might fall asleep on the way and may want to cuddle up and sleep together

 

[SheepGirl]

Oh yah...also be sure to get health certificates from your vet...you may need to check into the laws of the states you will be traveling in and to...some states have different requirements. Your goats may also need Scrapie tags as well.

 

[Wishin2BElswheyr]

I asked my boyfriend if the vet said anything about Health Certificates when he talked to him 2 weeks ago, and he said the vet didn't mention it.

Do we go through the vet to get them? He is always busy, never answers the phone and it takes days for him to call back...that's why I ask....

Do you think it's possible to get the certificates in a week?

 

[SheepGirl]

With my vet, I am able to call her and she will come to the farm (because ALL of the sheep at a farm have to be checked...even if they all aren't going anywhere) and she will give me my intrastate CVI (certificate of veterinary inspection) so I am allowed to move my sheep in the state. What you will be needing (more than likely) is an interstate CVI.

My vet's able to get to me within three or four days of me calling her or whenever we schedule an appointment. If she can't make it she usually sends her colleagues out.

 

[cindyg]

I dont know anything re health certificates, but did move our new ND buckling 1500 kms in the car. He was quite small but we put him in the dog crate, with lots of hay and a tarp underneath the crate (he was in the back of our SUV) We stopped overnight on the way and took him in the hotel with us, tarp and crate. We got a room on the first level with a door to the outside, not sure if we would have taken him in through the lobby! Anyway, he was just fine, he laid down pretty much all the way, munched on the hay and arrived home in fine style. If you can, I would put them together, if they are used to being together, that way they can cuddle. When we moved to the place we are in now, a two hour drive, four does stood nicely in the back of the car, not in a crate, just a tarp under them. They seem to be pretty good travellers.

 

[Queen Mum]

My goats travel ALL the time in the back of my truck. I made a pen out of cattle panels and fill the bottom with hay. I traveled all the way from Washington State to Texas (2600 miles) with 5 goats in the back of my truck. They did fine. I just took Houdini and Jellybean to the vet today and they laid right down in the corner together and snuggled up to keep warm.

I wouldn't separate them. Keep them together. It is better for them in the long run. Put them in a LARGE dog crate so they can sleep together. Use a small clip on style feeder pan. clipped inside the cage. Stop periodically to give them water but don't leave water in their cage.

People who have packgoats travel with their goats regularly. Other than constantly asking, "Mhaaa, Mhaaa, are we Thheeeair Yheeet?" The goats do really well.

 

[sunny]

My packgoat team has traveled several thousand miles in their lifetime. Moving an animal from state to state legally is a process sometimes.
OK so first you must call the state veterinarian in the state you are moving to. He will tell you what tests may be required for that state and issue you a permit number. You will then need to call the state veterinarian for any state that you plan to stay overnight in. They will tell you what is required for that. If you can avoid California it's an easier process. You will need a veterinarian inspection and he must fill out a health certificate for you. On the certificate make sure that he notes that your farm has been free of scrapies for 5 years and that the animals in question show no signs of the disease. At that time he can send off for any tests that may need run. They must have scrapies ID. These may be tags or tattoos. Call 1-800-USDATAG to get your premise ID number. If they are tattooed by the breeder for registration purposes these are acceptable ID in most states. Have a bill of sale stating the breeders tattoo numbers or their registration papers. As soon as they are sporting their permanant ID, call the brand inspector and get a certificate of brand inspection for them. This isn't required but, if you get stopped, this paper helps prove that you did not steal the animals in question.
It sounds like a nightmare, it really isn't though. The process does make sense. ID and tracability. A permanant ID and a paper trail.

Oh shoot, it looks like you don't have much time to do it either. Might want to take them to a University clinic so that they can do the testing on site.

I hope you get lucky and are moving to a state they don't require a lot for...

 

[sunny]

I looked it up for you and North Carolina is a Brucellosis free state. That may save you some time on testing.

 

[Wishin2BElswheyr]

Thanks guys!
The vet came out yesterday. Tatooed the gals, and gave us a health certificate. He is getting us an entry number into Iowa.
So I think we got it all covered. I hope anyway.
Thanks for the suggestion for one dog kennel...sometimes they act like they don't like eachother. But I think Lamb Chop just gets jealous for attention and she will lightly butt Jasmine.
They sleep together at night. So it should go well.