Tips for Transporting Sheep

Three years in a row, I have purchased sheep from a breeder in Oregon. They traveled just over 3,000 miles to get to our farm in Vermont. Some have come the southern route, and some have come the northern route, making the trip within 5 days to within 3 weeks. Basically, my flock of Gotland sheep have seen more of the United States than I have! I never hesitate to move newly purchased sheep a long distance. Many of our sheep customers ask us what is the proper way to transport their sheep home. We have used a variety of ways to get a sheep from one place to another, truck with a cap, mini-van, dog crate, and large livestock trailer. The important thing is to follow these tips for transporting sheep that we have learned along the way.

Tips for Transporting Sheep

• Understand how sheep move. If you are new to sheep, you need to familiarize yourself with what frightens sheep, and how they move. When moving sheep, the key is to move slowly, calmly, and quietly. Remember, sheep want to be with other sheep. The first one into the livestock trailer is the hardest one, but others will follow more easily. Sheep like to move towards light, so it is difficult to get them into a dark space. The best way to hold a sheep is to get control of their head. If their nose and head is raised, they usually give in to you, and then allow you to push from their tail end while leading with their head.
• Be sure the sheep have enough space to lay down and stand up easily.
• Put bedding down for the sheep to lay on.
• Provide hay for the ride. Eating reduces stress and keeps their rumen active.
• Bring water if traveling a long distance so the sheep stay hydrated.
• Give Burt’s Rescue Remedy to help alleviate stress….good for humans and sheep!
• If hiring a transporter, do your homework and check their reviews and references. Be sure that you understand what your sheep will be transported in and ask that they be kept in a separate stall from other animals on the trip. Never put polled and horned sheep/animals in the same pen. Be sure that you or the seller provides hay for the ride. If you are meeting the livestock transporter at a location other than your farm to pick up your sheep, care must be taken in moving the sheep from one vehicle to another, but that is for a blog post of its own.
• Consider proper ventilation. Transporting sheep in the back of a pick up truck in the heat of summer, can get extremely hot. Consider what time of day is best to travel if daytime temperatures are unbearable. Sheep should be protected from the wind as well as extreme heat. We have been known to rent a mini van in extremely hot and humid weather to haul sheep so that they are kept cool for the ride.
• Have your paperwork in order and available for inspection should you be stopped on your way home. If moving across state lines, be sure that your sheep have had a health inspection within the prior 30 days. The vet should provide you with a health certificate for the ride home. Consult with your vet for requirements and regulations before transporting.

To read about some of our adventures transporting sheep for ourselves as well as our sheep customers, check out some of the following blog posts.

• Road Trip
• The Journey of the Gotlands
• Transporting Sheep-The Skill of Fitting a Lamb or Two Into Your Car
• Settling In With Gotlands
• Sheep Transport From Coast to Coast