Raising Goats For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon
Ready to bring your goats home? If you purchase your goats from a breeder who lives across the country, the breeder is responsible for getting the goats to a shipper, and all you have to do is find out where to pick them up. If you bought the goats from a neighbor and they are trained to lead, just put them on leashes and lead them home. If you’re buying goats in any other situation, you need to figure out in advance how to get them home.

Some of these methods won’t work for large goats, but you can transport goats in the following ways:

  • Pet carriers or crates with straw or wood shavings for bedding. If you’re moving the goat in an open truck bed in cold weather, cover the crate with a rug or tarp to keep the wind down and keep the goat warmer.

  • The back of an SUV, van, or the back seat of a car. Cover the seat with a tarp and towels for those “accidents” that occur during transport.

  • On the towel-covered lap of a passenger. Goats that are being held and aren’t standing up will not pee on you, but they will poop.

  • The back of a truck with a canopy. Make sure to put down plenty of straw.

  • A horse trailer or another trailer with fencing or cattle panels to make it high enough to prevent escape. Cover an open trailer in extreme weather conditions to protect the goats from rain and wind.

Regardless of how you transport your new goats, to make the trip as stress-free as possible, do the following:

  • Load the goats carefully.

  • Make sure they have adequate bedding or padding.

  • Start, stop, and take turns or curves slowly and smoothly. You might have a seatbelt, but the goats don't!

  • If your trip will take many hours or days, provide the goats with hay during the trip and stop every three to four hours to let them eat, drink, and regain their equilibrium.

If you’re getting your first goats, you don’t have anyone to quarantine your new goats from. You just get them situated in their new digs. But if you’re adding goats to an existing herd, you need to quarantine the new goats for at least 30 days.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Cheryl K. Smith has raised a small herd of Nigerian Dwarf and Oberian dairy goats under the herd name Mystic Acres since 1998. She is the owner of karmadillo Press and is the author of Goat Health Care, Goat Midwifery, The Best of Ruminations Goat Milk and Cheese Recipes, and Raising Goats: Some Essentials.

This article can be found in the category: