The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Jamie12 on October 15, 2014, 06:46:06 pm
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Probably will answer my own question but,
I have a ram to collect, he's half an hour away and I'm struggling to get a trailer. All the local friendly farmers/shepherds say put him in the back of my pick up ::) (the cab part lol) now I'm not keen and obviously worried this is illegal/cruel unless being done in an emergency. The person collecting him has let me down last minute
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I have had loads of Lambs, The Odd Ewe and loads of Goats in the back of my 4x4. I just put plastic sheeting down and old carpet to soak anything up ::)
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Thanks, I have one is f those canopy with a glass back door and windows. Was worried I would get stopped on the motorway lol
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I think the questions are: does it have enough spce, is there enough fresh air, can it lie down in reasonable comfort, can it be loaded and unloaded safely? I've know someone transport weaners in a puppy cage in the back of Mercedes estate car.....
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I wouldn't have a tup in the body compartment. BH did that once and nearly had an accident - and never managed to get the interior properly clean again...
I'd happily transport one in the rear pickup part, provided it has a canopy and is secure. Put carpet down to give non-slip footing, and some straw or sawdust to make it easier to clean up. Then arrange for the loading and unloading to be on a level so that he just walks on the flat into and out of the container.
As long as the head height is such that he can stand if he wants, that would be perfectly serviceable for a half-hour journey.
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It's not a weaner, it's not a lamb. It's a ram. Could end in tears!
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Are you safe - is it strong enough to protect you and him?
My tup would smash those windows.
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What breed is he?
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Beltex
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Sorry, I meant what breed was the OP wishing to transport.
Although if she'd answered 'Beltex' I'd have said she'd have no problem, it'll be too lazy to challenge the windows. :-\
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Cardboard on the floor covered with straw. Some sort of "dog guard" We use weldmesh in a frame tied about with baler twine. We have transported eight sheep this way. You will need straw bales to make it easy to jump in/out without mishap.
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Its a charolais, I do feel it may be a bad idea!
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One of our Charollais tups was incredibly laid back, and he'd have been fine. The other was a bit more tuppish... If you put hay or straw bales all around, he wouldn't be able to deliver any powerful blows to anywhere that mattered (like the window to the cab), would he? Even if he felt a bit aggrieved and wanted to express it?
Where's he to go from/to? And by when?
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I'd be tempted to ask on here if there's anyone nearby who could help out with the loan of a trailer. Although there is much comedy value in imagining the tup bouncing off straw bales in an attempt to escape, in reality it could be a really nasty and dangerous journey.
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Whereabouts are you?
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Personally, if the back of the pickup had a firmly fixed metal top, yes. Plastic top, no.
if you need to make do (I wouldn't), then get a box trailer or find someone with a ply-lined van and a secure grill between back and front - you may have a seat belt on when you brake at 40mph, but 50kg of tup won't, and they're lousy drivers too.
I assume you've tried waving money at folk with trailers...
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I put a Southdown ram in the back of my Suzuki wagon R. I dropped the back seat, put lino, upside down, with straw over and used good old bailer twine to tie two small dog gates behind the front seats. We drove about 25miles and even stopped for a burger en route. Once we were mobile he sat down and just bleated a few times when we sat and ate our burgers. I did tell him they were beef !! Probably totally illegal !!! :innocent:
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I did tell him they were beef !! Probably totally illegal !!! :innocent:
Yeah probably horse