to breed before moving cattle

[bigdadychef]

hope for info on moving 3 12 month old herfords.just wondering if anybody could help me with the best way. looking to breed in july they will be 15 months old.moving from mi to tn. i could move them in june if needed realy like them theyre very nice and healthy so dont want to sell if i dont have to.how would the 500 + trip be on them any advice would be help full .



thx bigdaddy from mi

[Up North]

Twelve month old animals in good health can take a 500 mile(10 hour) trip in stride. The biggest concern is going from cooler to warmer area. If, for example, you scheduled your trip to leave MI at 9 PM, then you would arrive at 7 AM next morning. The thinking behind this is you make the last part of their journey during the coolest part of the day to ease the transition.
Administer shots for shipping fever as a precaution.
Have you contacted the state of TN to determine what health papers/tests are required for bringing cattle in to their state?

[john in la]

Cows of that age can be moved 500 miles (10 hrs) with no problems.
You just want to make sure you stop along the way and give them some water.

Not only will you need to contact TN for health paper requirements but you will need this for every state you cross. I do not remember any check points in that area like TX and AZ have but hauling animals with a out of state tag may get you pulled over and checked just for good measures. Some states can be real strict (and with good reason) about bringing plants and animals into their state.

Another consideration you may think about is a move of that size may throw off the heat cycle for a few weeks but once they get settled into their new home they will cycle normally.