The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Azzdodd on September 02, 2013, 11:41:02 pm
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As title says has anyone done it as a once only? 2 ram lambs chasing mum and antie....so need chop no trailer car for a one of?
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Never transported sheep for the chop in my car have to use the trailer thems the rules at my abattoir, I have moved the odd sheep in the back of my van with a tarp and plenty of straw on the floor they settle nicely with a bit of music and a good view out the back widow at the usually surprised passengers in the following vehicle :sheep: :roflanim:
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I guess if you can lift them out you may get away with it; if you expect them to jump out then Trading Standards at the abattoir will probably have a pretty dim view of it. They cut up rough with a friend of mine when she delivered hill sheep to the slaughterhouse in a transit-type vehicle. We thought it bizarre that they weren't supposed to jump less than 18" down from the back of the van when they happily scaled walls more than twice that height at home... ::)
Oh, wait - the other thing TS weren't happy about was that the part of the vehicle they'd been carried in couldn't be disinfected properly - which would certainly also be the case with the back of your car.
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Yep that's right, two main criteria, sheep carrying part has to be readily disinfect able and hose able, and it either has to have a ramp (with gates) or if no ramp the abbatoir/officials have to be happy that the sheep can be loaded and unloaded safely which means no jumping out. Hence some places are ok with lifting out small breeds or lambs, and some aren't, but none will be happy with large breeds who can't be lifted out.
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As title says has anyone done it as a once only? 2 ram lambs chasing mum and antie....so need chop no trailer car for a one of?
Better to ring them in the first seven days.... makes life so much easier for them and us...
I wouldn't turn up at the abattoir with sheep in the van/back of car as you never know who is on duty that day...
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This is interesting, as I had a lady from East Grinstead interested in a couple of my ewe lambs (5 months) as pets. She wanted to transport them (141 miles) in the back of her Fronterra, behind the dog guard. I said I didn't think this was a good idea as they are big girls and I would be worried that they would push through the guard and in to the car space. Also not sure she would actually be able to fit two of them in there. I advised she look locally for some ewe lambs as I would be worried about her getting stopped by the police if they did see her with 2 sheep in her car!
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It may not apply to adult sheep or large lambs however it is worth noting that travel in a vari-kennel ( plastic dog cage) conforming to travel regulations ie comes with non spill lip to the bottom plus all the required ventilation and space bars etc to allow them to be considered suitable for transport, can be used to transport sheep long distances.
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Iv used a Reno kango just put a piece of ply board across the back never been to abattoit . They jump in and out when the wether is bad or ill i will use the van.
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I think its totally doable, its only the rules and regulations! I had a neighbour once who transported her alpacas in the back of her volvo estate haha! she had taught them to sit in the back! That probably wasnt legal either but she never got caught... I see people turn up at shows with their sheep in the back of a van all the time so I would have thought that must be ok, the back of a car may be not so much in these over legislated times we live in!
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We took a ram lamb in the back of the car to the vet to be castrated and I've taken a sick lamb in teh car, but I thing the abattoir officials would take a dim view tbh.
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i moved sheep in the car, ie betweeen fields or after purchase (even a 400 mile trip) but to an abattoir - no way. itl open a can of worms.
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In an emergency case you can move sheep/goats/smallish pigs in the car to the vets, I have actually taken my girls out of school to help with holding a goat kid (it would have too stressful for the wee lad to go into a crate in the back of the van) to get him to the vet urgently... If we wouldn't have done it he would be dead by now I am sure!
I take my goats everywhere in the van, but sheep go into the trailer - easier to load in the field (unless I teach my sheep to walk on a lead ;D )
It's just turning up at the abattoir can mean your animals are condemned and you get hassle from TS and the AH people/vets.
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We have moved sheep and lambs in the back of my husbands car (with all the seats down etc) without any problems but never on very long journeys.
Obviously the regulations for taking them to the abbatoir are strict though so that won't be an option for us and we'll have to hire a van or trailer to move them.
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I have obviously never ever done this ;) :D Not even with my pet sheep Belle, who loves the car and always hops in of her own accord for a quick trip. Now she's a gimmer I've had to put my foot down.