How To Transport A Baby Goat

There are a few good ways to transport your baby goat: a truck goat hauler, kennel, or a livestock trailer. Each has its pros and cons; however, here are the four essential things to consider when transporting your baby goat.

Distance in Transporting Goats

Distance is a factor you need to consider when transporting your baby goat. You most likely will be going to a breeder to pick up your baby goat, so it is important to know how to properly transport your goat. Traveling stresses goats out. Most people will only travel a max of 4 hours, but if you are traveling more than that you will need to regularly check up on your baby goat.

Ventilation

Ventilation is something not a lot of people thinks about. You need to have good circulation of air in your hauler. With too much circulation, goat waste, hay, and dirt fly up in the air which is not good for the lungs. With too little circulation, temperature and stagnant air pose a threat as well. Goats, especially young goats, can get pneumonia fairly easily. Proper circulation that doesn’t lift debris is important.

Moisture Control To Avoid Sickness While Traveling

You need a dry area for them. Goats pee and poop a lot when they travel as a response to stress. The best way to keep them dry is by putting intact flakes of hay on the ground. It provides a barrier from the liquid. Spreading or shaking out hay only creates more loose debris that can potentially irritate their respiratory system.

Food and Water When Traveling With Goats

Make stops along the way if you are traveling far, to feed and let your goat drink water. Feed before and after hauling but don’t feed too much during hauling. Due to the stressful nature of traveling, babies do far better traveling with lighter stomachs. It’s also not unusual for babies to have some stress-induced diarrhea after traveling. It should clear itself up in a day or two.

For more detailed information about each of these components check out our Transporting Goats Article. This follows the youtube video “things to consider for the best goat hauler”.

Know the most important factors to safe goat transportation. This blog post covers part of a section of our Baby Goat Course. For everything, you need to know on how to raise a goat in its first year, check out the How to Raise a Baby Goat Course.