[Somekindawonderful]

OMG, tell me this isn't going to wreck my trailer...?

My hubby has wanted to have cattle FOREVER, and we have carefully chosen out 2 very top quality heifers. He figures we have a trailer, so we'll go pick them up - right? Yikes! I am anxious to have them too, and really he supports everything "horsey" that I do (I have 4!) so I need to do this, without wrecking our trailer.

2H Sundowner straight-load, no DR. X-hi, X-wide with a ramp - my dream trailer, I LOVE this thing. I have the partition out, it's just a big open box right now. I will lock the escape doors so they don't bump them open by accident. Should I put the partitions in? Put the centre post in? Tie the cows? Let them ride loose? Hay net?

One cow is halter-broke, the other has been haltered but not really "broke".

So, how would you go about this? OH, and HELP is needed FAST, we're leaving tomorrow 8AM EST....

[Alagirl]

my uncle routinely hauled cows in his trailer.
I am not sure if he tied them, since I am 99.9% sure non ever was haltered 9but they did uses neck chains on cows back then when they needed to be tied.)

I would probably skip the haynet, since cows to pull their feed in with their tongue. Unless you are driving for hours and days, I think they can handle a shorttime without food.

[Bluey]

No sweat, leave it open as a stock trailer and run them up there and close the gate and drive off.
If they are little and have too much room, they may walk around and make driving interesting, so yes, close them both in the front part so they are snug in there.
You always try to haul most cattle tight, so their weight doesn't keep shifting on you down the highway and it helps balance them.
Cattle are not going to kick and bite each other to make room.
They don't mind being packed in there.

Many good studies have shown that cattle haul better empty.
We generally don't feed them for a bit before they are to be hauled and not while hauling, but are sure they had all the water and feed they wanted and more before a trip and immediately on arrival.

Now, you may not know that, but cattle will make a terrible mess of any trailer, even only two.
When you get them home, stop to wash all that off before it dries and requires scrubbing for hours to get everything clean again.

[wireweiners]

Don't put the divider up. Leave the trailer a "box" I wouldn't tie them but would leave them loose in the trailer. I'm not familiar with trailers with ramps. Is there an open space between the top of the trailer and the top of the door? If so, you need to block that somehow so they won't try to jump out.

[wireweiners]

Just out of curiosity, what breed are they?

[4cornersfarm]

Don't put the divider up. Leave the trailer a "box" I wouldn't tie them but would leave them loose in the trailer. I'm not familiar with trailers with ramps. Is there an open space between the top of the trailer and the top of the door? If so, you need to block that somehow so they won't try to jump out.

We had someone "board" his cows with us briefly and when he trailered them home in his old Kingston the little one jumped out over the ramp while he was driving down the road. Do close the top doors if you have them. If no top doors, maybe prop up a sheet of plywood?

[SmartAlex]

Your trailer will be fine. My mother lets her husband haul his beefers in the 4 Star 2 horse straight load with ramp.

In fact, once the innards are out that trailer is useful for hauling LOTS of things!!!

Take everything out. Haul cows loose like it was a stock trailer.

ETA: In fact, to keep the steers quiet, he loads them the evening before and shuts them in for the night. They are tame enough they don't mind being cooped up and consider it cozy 5 star accomodations. Little do they know what's in store for them the next day...

[Somekindawonderful]

THANKS everyone, I feel so relieved!!!
The trailer has doors over the ramp, I'll close them and they'll be completely closed in. It has windows in front and sides, but they all have bars over them and are pretty high up. These "girls" are smaller cows, they are Japanese Wagyu.

YA, I bet it's going to be plastered with poo.... will have to plan for a trip to the car wash. Guess it's a good time to get it cleaned up anyhow. We use this trailer for EVERYTHING, lawn mower, skidoo, 4-wheeler, hay, furniture, wood so I guess why not cows?

Wish us luck!

[Alagirl]

THANKS everyone, I feel so relieved!!!
The trailer has doors over the ramp, I'll close them and they'll be completely closed in. It has windows in front and sides, but they all have bars over them and are pretty high up. These "girls" are smaller cows, they are Japanese Wagyu.

YA, I bet it's going to be plastered with poo.... will have to plan for a trip to the car wash. Guess it's a good time to get it cleaned up anyhow. We use this trailer for EVERYTHING, lawn mower, skidoo, 4-wheeler, hay, furniture, wood so I guess why not cows?

Wish us luck!

<luck>

[SuckerForHorses]

Word of advice: bring trailer to car wash immediately after using...once that cow poop dries on, it is like concrete to get off.

Otherwise, it will be fine. Keep it open (no dividers or posts) and make sure to close the doors over the ramp.

[SmartAlex]

Yeah, plan on cleaning. Cows can projectile-poo like nobody's business. And then there is the snot and spit and booger blowing.

[crosscreeksh]

Word of advice: bring trailer to car wash immediately after using...once that cow poop dries on, it is like concrete to get off.

Otherwise, it will be fine. Keep it open (no dividers or posts) and make sure to close the doors over the ramp.

*********
This!!! DH hauled one big Angus beefer to the "place"...about one hour drive. It took AGES to clean the poop off the walls and padding of the trailer. NEVER again in my good trailer!! That's why "stock" trailers are usually covered in cow poop!!! It is AMAZING how much poop a cow can eject when stressed!!!Also...the ramp "thing" may be an issue unless there is a chute to load on. Cows are a bit funny about walking on strange surfaces!!

[wireweiners]

THANKS everyone, I feel so relieved!!!
The trailer has doors over the ramp, I'll close them and they'll be completely closed in. It has windows in front and sides, but they all have bars over them and are pretty high up. These "girls" are smaller cows, they are Japanese Wagyu.

YA, I bet it's going to be plastered with poo.... will have to plan for a trip to the car wash. Guess it's a good time to get it cleaned up anyhow. We use this trailer for EVERYTHING, lawn mower, skidoo, 4-wheeler, hay, furniture, wood so I guess why not cows?

Wish us luck!

So are you going to feed them beer and massage them to produce kobe beef?

[carp]

So are you going to feed them beer and massage them to produce kobe beef?

On the serious side, I would definitely skip the dividers if they aren't polled cattle.

[Somekindawonderful]

Oh lovely, sounds like something to look forward to... with all that snot, slime and sprayed-on-poo I'm going to need the beer, forget the cows!

The neighbour has cattle, but they are about 50' from the furthest fenceline and the horses eye them with suspicion. I'm anxious to get these cattle home, more to see what kind of "show" my 4 girls put on when they get an eyefull of their farm friends up close - I'll have to get some video of the "action".

[SmartAlex]

So how did the hauling go?

[Somekindawonderful]

Everything went very well, loading was a bit tricky with the ramp - we were able to lead the older one that's halter broke on OK with just a little push. The younger one was haltered, but definitely not broke... we had to PUSH her on but they both rode well and didn't even make too much of a mess on the 1hr drive.... so the trailer survived.

My hubby is SO HAPPY with his little cows, and he's out there every night doing chores with me - I am loving the company. My horses put on quite the show when they got an eyeful of cow coming into their pasture, what a hoot! It's all settled down now, they are peacefully co-existing. I'd post some pics, if I could figure out how?

[goodhors]

Glad to hear the trip went well, cattle AND horses settled in to be field neighbors. Happy husband is a good thing to have! We hauled our calves in the stock trailer for 4-H, but we practiced loading and being tied inside regularly to keep them mannerly. Those cattle just cruised right up the ramp into the trailer, got their treats inside and tied up. They loaded and hauled better than many horses!

Husband might like to practice leading, walking, loading, standing in the trailer and unloading CALMLY, so his cattle stay easy to handle, trust him more. Who knows, he might want to get into showing later on. Having his cattle tamed and confident in him, will make everything easier when he wants to do anything with them.

I think you can only post photos if you are a premium member. However if you could put the photos up in a public site, then post a link, that works pretty well for viewing.

[SuckerForHorses]

Yes, upload to a site like photobucket.com adn then you can copy the photo link to here for us to see!

[Foxtrot's]

We had to move two steers in a QH sized trailer - they sh** everywhere, turned themselves round and we were waved at and yelled at because one of them got it's back legs over the ramp. My husband had to brake sharply to get it off. It was quite an adventure and I was not amused .... men!