[Frieslandfilly]

Hi all, I was just wondering if you can hire livestock trailers from anywhere? We started up a couple of years ago and as yet have not been able to jusitfy the cost of buying a trailer, some good friends of ous took our first lot of lambs to the abbitoir for us but it seems a bit cheeky to ask them again. Is there a hire facitlity or something like it at all?

[Roxy]

Can't honestly say I have seen any livestock trailers for hire.  Our local agricultural merchants do hire their double horse trailer out, which I suppose would do the same job, and I have seen other places hire horse trailers too, for the day.

[juliag]

I am sure if you ask a neighbour they will be only to happy to help, alternatively as in your local pub, all my husbands farm/ land requirements get sorted out in the local over a few pints. It is amazing the offers etc you can receive if you ask. Last week we were offered lorry loads of scalpings from the quarry workers ( all legit I may add but less than half the normal price). the chance to take the kids over to have a go at shearing sheep. ( we raised an orphan lamb a couple of years ago, well we did until she died!!, still have not worked out why??). We had a track dug out last weekend ( thats what the scalpings are for) and a load of post and rail banged in with a tractor as we hadnt banged it in strong enough, and all  down to a few pints in the pub!!!

[Sharondp]

Can you borrow your friends trailer? I'm sure a leg of lamb would cover it! 

[Anke]

The first thing we bought for the smallholding was an Ifor williams trailer, just the smallest one, got the livestock roof a year later when the first lot of pigs was ready to go. It is used for all sorts of things now, as we still buy loads of wood for fencing/building; scavenge wood for stove and carry the sheep/goats/pigs/bees around - really couldn't do the holding without it.

What I mean is - get a trailer as soon as you see one (2ndhand or ebay), once you have it you will never know how you managed without it. I just wish I had a bigger one now (and a bigger car to tow it too...)

[Frieslandfilly]

Hi all, thanks for replies, we have a horse trailer rental place up the road, never thought of that! As for going down the pub, chance would be a fine thing, we keep meaning to make time and either something comes up or we are too knackered to get changed and go!! I have been promised by other half that a trailer is the next purchase but I have to be patient, I keep telling him how useful it will be,as well as a tractor!

[Sylvia]

Where are you? If you are anywhere near us (Devon) you are more than welcome to a borrow of ours.

[Frieslandfilly]

That's really kind of you but we are in Oxfordshire! Thanks anyway
Dawn

[daniellestocks]

If you contact the abbatior they might do a collection service? I think from what others have said abbatiors dont like horse trailer and some wont let you bring pigs sheep? in them, as they dont have the gates at the back and the pig sheep etc can escape when unloading! i think?
Someone may correct me tho i might be wrong? 

[oaklandspigs]

Yes trailers have to have side gates under EU reg 1/2005 - most horse trailers don't have these

[arriane04]

I have never seen a livestock trailer for hire. In our place where I lived near the slaughterhouse, the company owns a trailer in which people can hire it and pay for the service according to the loads they will have to put on their trailer. You can ask the abattoir's manager how to deal with this transaction.

[ellisr]

When I had to move my flock of sheep I hired a trailer £40 per day. There are quite a lot of companies out there that do livestock trailer hire.
I am going to have to hire one again to take the pigs to slaughter.

[TheCaptain]

When I had to move my flock of sheep I hired a trailer £40 per day. There are quite a lot of companies out there that do livestock trailer hire.
I am going to have to hire one again to take the pigs to slaughter.

Any recommendations?  I've looked but can't find any local - nearest I found was Berkshire!!!

[charliemoo]

go to your local trailer stockist, be it Ifor Williams or Hudson etc and they will almost definately hire trailers. ours charges us 25 pound for 24 hours.

ebay is a good source of cheap (and expensive) trailers.

if you had a horse box, take some hurdles and tie them to the sides, solves the problem of needing side gates!