Is There A Place To Rent Livestock Trailers?

earthkitty · #1 02/28/12, 07:09 PM

We are only a year and a half into building our homestead, and right now buying a livestock trailer just isn't in the budget. That money needs to go to finishing our fencing.

We want to purchase some ewes and a cow/calf pair, but don't have a way to get them here without a trailer. Most of the animals I find that are available to purchase are too far away to ask if the seller could deliver.

I tried to put an ad on craigslist to find someone who would let us rent theirs, but it was deleted. I guess there is a liability issue for craigslist.

What have you all done before you were able to buy one? Any suggestions, or information from local people (SE Kansas)?

Funny thing is our neighbor has one sitting in his field, and we offered to put new tires on it for him if he would let us use it. He kind of talked around us and dropped the subject, so I don't want to be the pushy neighbor and bring it up again. If he was amenable to the idea he would have agreed right away, right?

Natural Beauty Farm · #2 02/28/12, 07:23 PM

Talk to feed stores, put up flyers. You may not be able to borrow one, but you can hire someone to go bring them back. We have done it several times, now we have 4 or 5 guys that will help us out at the drop of the hat, for all kinds of things, not just hauling...... secret is it costs them gas and wear and tear on their vehicle, so pay them well and don't talk them down on what they think it should cost... also make sure you bring homemade goodies, soap, things for kids etc... as a thank you. Now that we have built up a relationship and trust with families that have been around here for generations, we do reap the benefits of what we sowed. We can borrow trailers, trucks, take hay out of barns with an IOU, and everyone helps each other out.

rambler · #3 02/28/12, 07:24 PM

Neighbors borrow stuff from each other all the time, but sounds like you are new to the neighborhood... Some of us get kinda overwhelmed with borrowers and kinda try not to lend so much stuff out any more. And as you mentioned, there's the liability issue, a wreck happens and today the lawyers sue everyone they can, whether it makes sense or not..... Unil you're better known and show you fit in and have something to offer in return, probably tough to borrow right away.

How do you plan to pull the trailer, if you had a pickup you could likely manage to haul those smaller livestock already in the pickup, so you need to borrow the pickup as well. And that's gonna put people off....

Any livestock barns near you, typically are several that haul livestock for a fee, they will be around or known at the livestock barn. With fuel & insurance what it is, you'll be paying a fair bit per mile, just how it is in this ecconomy.

--->Paul

MO_cows · #4 02/28/12, 07:31 PM

You might be able to arrange for delivery with the sellers. I don't know of any place that rents stock trailers and nobody wants to loan them either. DH says our next one will be a gooseneck so we won't get asked to borrow it so often!

earthkitty · #5 02/28/12, 07:51 PM

We have a pick up and Sequoia that can haul a trailer, so don't need to borrow that too.

There are several livestock sale barns, but I am wary of buying animals that way due to livestock health issues. I don't want to bring disease onto my farm from an animal that is being sold for whatever reason. The sheep we have now were babies when we bought them, so I just put them in a giant crate in the back of the Sequoia. That isn't an option with adult ewes or a cow!

We are new to the area, and I don't want to impose on anyone. I thought the offer to put new tires on the neighbor's trailer was a pretty good deal for him.

Natural Beauty Farm and rambler, you have some good ideas. I'll ask at the feed mill, see if they know of anyone, maybe check the livestock barns too. Thanks for the advice! I just don't like to bother people, so was hoping there was a place I could just rent one and not ask people to go out of their way.

And I always have extra eggs that I give to guys who do work around here, give them to neighbors too. And my 11 year old makes some mean chocolate chip cookies!

RyanTN · #6 02/28/12, 08:43 PM

Farmers CO-OPs often rent livestock trailers around my neck of the woods.

travis91 · #7 02/28/12, 09:01 PM

The bank in town has a cattle trailer it lends out to its customers..

oz in SC V2.0 · #8 02/28/12, 09:28 PM

Check Craigslist,you might find a horse trailer for rent.

CountryWannabe · #9 02/29/12, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by earthkitty

The sheep we have now were babies when we bought them, so I just put them in a giant crate in the back of the Sequoia. That isn't an option with adult ewes or a cow!

Well, not a cow, maybe, but I have hauled 5 full grown ewes in my Plymouth extended van. I just put a tarp on the floor and some hay down on it, and they settled down pretty fast on the journey (about 100 or so miles)

Mary

kasilofhome · #10 02/29/12, 12:39 AM

about 40 years ago I had a horse to get for Ann Arbor Michigan to New York. I was 12 and I only knew of Uhaul. I got the horse trailer from them it took them awhile to get one up to Buffalo but they made the arrangements and (they did wish to speak with an adult first) and called back to inform me when it would get to Buffalo for us to rent. Yes, it would have been cheaper to rent just from Ann Arbor but they would not assist at all. It went fine. I wonder if they still have trailer.

Now I have no problems but I did all the stuff that Natural wrote about and it works fine. I have worked up great relationship with the people I will buy animals from so I am willing to buy sight unseen.

Also check out Services on CL and in the farm list ask for leads for someone hauling.

Kevingr · #11 02/29/12, 09:21 AM

Our local rental store has a couple, I've used them in the past. Or I've arranged it from the seller. When we had sheep I put plywood sides on a 16 foot car hauler trailer that I had, and then I just put cattle panels across the top.

earthkitty · #12 02/29/12, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryWannabe

I have hauled 5 full grown ewes in my Plymouth extended van. I just put a tarp on the floor and some hay down on it, and they settled down pretty fast on the journey (about 100 or so miles)

Mary

WHAT!!!! I bet that was interesting. I'd be afraid they'd freak out and get to the front of the car.

If I had a topper on my full size pick up I'd just stick the sheep back there.

earthkitty · #13 02/29/12, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kasilofhome

Also check out Services on CL and in the farm list ask for leads for someone hauling.

That is a great idea. I never even knew there was a farm services section. Thanks!

U-haul is something I hadn't thought of, either. I'd been so concentrated on a livestock trailer I really wasn't coming up with any other ideas, never having moved big farm animals before.

Thank you all for your ideas!

cshire · #14 02/29/12, 09:59 AM

I just used a 5'x8' uhaul box trailer this past weekend to haul a 2 year old Jersey heifer home.

$20 for the trailer rental for a 24 hour period and $2 in quarters to hose it out when i was done.

This worked fine for a 45 minute trip to get her home.

I would not recommend this for warm weather as there is no way to provide ventilation in the trailer.

KMA1 · #15 02/29/12, 11:22 AM

In smaller towns, equipment rental places will usually have one or more is livestock is common in the area. Some Farmers Coops also rent livestock trailers.

Peace n Quiet · #16 02/29/12, 11:44 AM

We own a truck/gooseneck livestock trailer for our own use. Several times a year our local butcher refers Dh to people who are in need of occasional hauling. Try giving a butcher a call. They will know someone.

earthkitty · #17 02/29/12, 12:51 PM

Well I finally found a farm vet today, and his vet tech has a lot of sheep, as well as knowing a lot of people around here who have them. Hopefully they might be able to direct me to people around here who might rent one or haul livestock.

If not, I'll rent a Uhaul. Thanks again everyone for all of your ideas.

oregon woodsmok · #18 02/29/12, 05:43 PM

I've never seen an equipment rental yard that didn't have a horse trailer for rent. Always a 2 horse trailer, not a stock trailer, but most of them have fully enclosed backs.

monkeybackfarm · #19 03/02/12, 08:42 AM

Be aware some producers are concerned about disease transmittion from renting trailers ...

Ken Scharabok · #20 03/03/12, 01:12 AM

Call area livestock barns. Chances are some of their employees haul livestock.

For a critter that is out call local vet offices as they may know of someone (cowboy) to rope and being it back home.

I once hauled cattle and hay but simply too much wear and tear on equipment. Quipment trailer tires go for more than $90.