# Shipping



## Blueroan (Mar 6, 2010)

Does anyone have any experience shipping goats to the east coast. Priceing of haul bill, airfair for kids, etc. I would like to have some experienced packers or good large stock. Tim in NC


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

Airfare goes by size of crate. You can go to Delta Dash, animals and see the sizes. You can ship more than one per crate as long as they can stand up. All the requirements for crating and shipping are at their website. Delta Dash is considered the best air shipper. I'm sending two kids to Maryland for $300 fare, plus a crate cost, plus health certs. These are two 8 week kids. Adults would be cost prohibitive on air, ROn Keener ships by land, he has a website but he's real expensive. I would guess nmore than you would pay for the goat.
I am sending these kids to MAryland to start an east coast packgoat station where people can get BIG goats for packing. They won't have anything to sell till next year but you might consider that.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I have been wondering the same thing, it seems most of the dedicated packgoat breeders are in the NW/Mtn States. 

I am thinking of doing some serious shopping for a packbred buckling. I know the dog crates can work, I brought a BH 3 mos old pup from Texas for $350 including the crate. That would be worth it to me to get the right packing buck.

I'd like a Saanen/Alpine cross buck, or similar bred. 
Jake


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

I'd love to see more breeders further away from me. I can ship kids for that purpose.
I guess that there are more breeders using the genetics that Charlie Goggin and I created than ony other single genetic strain. 
Unfortunately, I don't have anymore of that cross available till next year. I do have some of the alpine lines left.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I'd like to hear about your line, I have several Alpine bucklings available here that I am getting for wethers, and a pair of Saanen doelings, plus the two goats I have now. But am interested in packing bloodlines.


----------



## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

Carolyn, I've wondered for a while: what's your main market for your doelings from packing bloodlines that have Boer crossed into them? Do you primarily sell them as packers/packer breeding stock, or do they make good dairy goats, too?


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I have been wondering the same thing, how much Boer, and is it a stabilised line now and breeds on? I amnot interested in dairy amounts of milk, enough to raise the kids on is plenty. 

But a line that has the pack conformation and gets size is what I want.

The little Alpine buckling I am getting is from a good sized Buck, and the Saanens are all very good sized dairy goats. One wether to keep the buckling company, and for a little while the four to take on walks until he gets too bucky.


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

They are linebred over 9 generations now so are very stable. You can look at an outcross and see right away that it has our stamp on it. I personally like aobut 1/3 boer but the boer we started with had very long legs so crossed well with the foundation doe who is Saanen. 
The dairy does I use are very high production lines, some of the highest in the US so the kids will milk well. The does I get either go to make more packgoats or I sell them as unregistered farm milkers.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Hi Carolyn

I am very interested in getting a buckling from your line, what do the wethers mature at? 

My Saanens are from high production lines, and I have one alpine doeling also from excellent milkers, other then the dwarfs the majority of the goats here in MI are for milking and there are a number of production goat dairies here that are on test year around for life production records. I am happy with these girls, but other then home milk and feta cheese I want my goats for packing. Lots of trails here, but am considering moving next year to the NE part of Wa, about 50 miles south of the Canadian line. 

Then its going to be me, the dog, the goats and a small home flock of Icelandic chickens. And a cabin.


----------



## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

They run between 220 and 275. Bob Jones, of this list says Pig, who he bought last year is alread 135 at less than one year old. I don't have anything left this year but will have more next year.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Those are impressive weights ! 

I may well hold off on buying any bucklings this year and stay with wethers/does. Or just wethers, I have several does now. 

Keep me in mind please for a buckling. 

I think breeding a packing strain is the common sense way to go.


----------



## duffontap (Apr 8, 2010)

I would love to see pictures of a full-grown packer from Carolyn's bloodlines. I've only seen pictures of her yearlings. JD


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

I would like to see both,I dont have her book yet, but should be coming, I assume there are pics of them there also.


----------



## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

> a small home flock of Icelandic chickens


I want Ice Chickens!

To go with my Ice Dogs! And Ice Horses!

Can you bring me an Ice Goat too! 

Sadly I know that's not possible.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

The 'Ice chickens' are sure doable ! When you are ready for them can send a trio, by next spring will have quite a few available if I am thinning out for a move, would probably only bring a dozen or so. 

Go to BackYardChicken.com the forum, scroll down to the section on Breeds and Genetics and scroll through to the IceLandic Chickens, a long THREAD there with a LOT of pics. 

I am fascinated by them, the chicken the Vikings brought to Iceland in 800. They have been isolated there every since. And still have a huge diversity, they survived the Iceland winters ranging around the homesteads and seeing what they could scrounge from the manure piles, Iceland grows very little grain, and over the past thousand years the breed got very little, they are winter hardy, free rangers and brooders, and lay a nice medium to large egg that is white or cream. About 4 to max of 5 lbs mature weight. 

Check them out on the Back Yard Chicken forum. Every color that a chicken there have, just like Forest Gumps Box of Chocolates. Ya never know what you are gonna get, I have about a half dozen with crests, including my main roo.


----------



## IceDog (Aug 1, 2010)

Cool! I think I'll get prepared for adding Icelandic Chickens to our menagerie next year!

I've always wanted chickens, love the idea of free range eggs.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

Well to me chickens and goats are the two that add the most to a self sufficient lifestyle, along with a good garden and a couple good hunting rifles, and also , for me, good bows and equipment. 
I dont know what my moving schedule will be, hoping sometime in the spring, possibly May if all goes well.

The link to the thread on BYC Icelandics is:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/v ... 299038&p=1

To get back on topic, I am going to make the move, first choice is NE Wa, but if that doesnt work out then Idaho in the NW area.

Not sure where airports are available in that general area, might wind up driving to pick one up.


----------



## yaufent (Jun 23, 2011)

most wild animals will avoid people. we are loud and smelly to them. they will usually only attack if provoked. if they do come up to you just wait for them to leave. they are probably just wondering what you are doing. maybe the coyote is your totem...


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

If a bear 'just walks up to you ' its probably wondering if your stomach is good eating. I spent many years as a biologist doing stream surveys in the NW and Alaska and have had many encounters with bears, if they wont run off or move out you are quite apt to be about to have 'an incident'. I always carry a .45 caliber with hollow points, after the first in the chamber heavy deep penetrating bullet when in bear country, including here in MI, but our black bears have been hunted so they normally stay away from people, except in berry season. Our clan totem is the brown bear. Of my grandmothers people.


----------



## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

If a wild animal comes up to you they may very well be looking for a handout. Unfortunately, there are a few stupid people in the world who treat wild animals as pets and feed them because they think they are cute. Not only does this put the animal in danger from road traffic, it makes them dangerously comfortable around people. A wild animal cannot be trained to respect boundaries and may become demanding if it has been fed by humans before. Or if it has babies, it will become protectively aggressive, but it will still come up for food. 

Also, a wild animal that approaches you may very well have rabies. I've seen that a few times and you DO NOT want to stand there and wait for a rabid animal to approach you! 

In our area we have problems with humans feeding wildlife, trapped "problem bears" being relocated to our area, and a high incidence of rabies. So I'm not going to wait around to see what happens if any wild animal intentionally comes over to say "hi".


----------



## Bunkerbean (Jan 31, 2010)

This is an interesting I have three wethers that I am getting from a breeder in Olympia, WA and I have to get them to Atlanta, GA. I was living in Idaho when I put my deposit down on them. Do to job I had to move. Now I have to figure out how to get them out here. They are older too, not just kids.


----------



## Blueroan (Mar 6, 2010)

Atlanta in 6 hrs away from us. I was wondering because I was interested in buying some experienced packers. Next year, I am going to get some small goats shipped in so I can bred my own from good stock. I will be going back to Colorado about the 9th of September and staying about 10days.


----------



## Jake Levi (Jun 9, 2011)

The move might come sooner then I thought, to the NE corner of Wa, I possibly could be out of here by Labor Day and enroute. Much to do if so. 

First being getting a good small horse or stock trailer, getting awnings put on the side of it and the van, and somehow getting loaded what I want/need to take. I have an 18' tipi so will be taking that , just in case. 

The goats will be two Saanen wethers, two Saanen doelings, and an Alpine buckling. And a dozen or so Icelandics, they should do great up there in Wa. 

We shall see what will be, its looking more like a plan then just something to do.


----------

