Coffee anyone ?

[RR Homestead]

If it was on the way I would say come on... but going from CA to MO does not "pass go, pass through VA, or collect $200"... kinda out of the way in the wrong direction...but I will take them if need be for a bit....

Even if you close next week... how soon are you thinking you have to be moved out??? You don't have your place sold yet??? not like you are "pushed " to get out of where you are ... or did I miss something??? I fully get wanting to get moved... been there done that... and the cross country trips are going to be tiring...
but you have some time to get the calves grafted on the cow...
Hope she took this time for you... when are you thinking moving the cattle???? might be better for her to be further bred than shorter... if possible..

Well....... So this is the issues we are currently facing. The cattle need to be to our new house before calving. Last thing I need is to make two (or 3) loads for each group because I don't have the space needed for young pairs. Also don't want the added stress and costs of newborns (or close to it) getting vetted then trailering for 4 days minimum on top of the temperature differences between here and there. One of our milk heifers is due the end of january. That's my main stress at the moment to get moved. Really need her there and settled in before she calves. But that also means I have to be staying there to milk her. Have zero interest in milking a fresh heifer twice a day while driving across the country. The majority of the rest of the beef cows and another milking a heifers are due in March. I really have no idea how we are going to make this all happen with the livestock. I'm the only onetak who milks let alone has the time. My hubby doesn't have the time to do it while I'm on the road.
I totally agree on the cow. I've been trying to get her bred for months knowing this could be coming. She went cystic then had nothing but silent heats. I did breed her on the silent heats but she didn't take. This is her first true standing heat so I'm hopeful. The only thing with her that's a plus is she was a show heifer/cow. She will likely stress a little over a long trip but she's very trailer broke and if her daughters go with her (and calves) she should be ok traveling. It's a risk we likely are going to have to take.

 

[Baymule]

Try to prepare as best as you can for the trip. If you drive straight through how many hours is that? Is there someone that could switch off with you while husband drives the other truck and trailer? It would be exhausting, but better on the cattle. Or send husband and another person to help unload while you stay with the cattle, then take the cattle. No easy way to figure this out. I know you want them safely in their new home, barn and shelter from winter that will be so different from where they are now. Don't forget health papers!

 

[Baymule]

On my second cup of coffee. It stormed last night. I thought about Maximus, horse, out in the weather. Pampered, stalled most of his life, and now out in the open, belonging to a redneck. Time to toughen up, but I want shelter for him. I'm working on that, gonna tear down a shed and use those materials to build him a 3 sided shelter to get out of the weather and shade in the summer. It's not cold yet, but I still feel bad for him. At least when I get shelter up for him, he will have a choice.

I remember when we were having our barn built in Lindale. The roof was up, but not the sides. It was pouring down, a real frog floater, and the horses were huddled up under a cedar tree. I suited up and BJ asked what was I doing. I told him I was going out to talk to the horses, he thought i was nuts. So I went out in hard driving rain and told the horses that we were spending a lot of money to have them a nice barn and they could go stand under it and get out of the rain. Then I went back inside. We watched out the window. They all looked at each other, like they were having a conversation, then went in their new barn to stand out of the rain.

 

[Weldman]

And it's not even December yet...

 

[Mini Horses]

Warmer here today. Good!! DS says he'll get new truck parts installed -- helpful for sure. And maybe tractor ? I'm only working one day this week but home without equipment running isn't good. Any plans are in hold pattern pending results.

It's early. Been up since 5:30, so slept later than last 2 days and hoping that continues. This body needs to adjust.

 

[Baymule]

minus 7? Nope.

 

[Mini Horses]

Yeah, -7 isn't for me!! Heck I'm stumbling & cussing thru 25-30. Those temps just aren't nice plus snow???? Just shoot me I occasionally get a few inches here, it's a he// week then. Hard job to feed in it.

 

[farmerjan]

Well....... So this is the issues we are currently facing. The cattle need to be to our new house before calving. Last thing I need is to make two (or 3) loads for each group because I don't have the space needed for young pairs. Also don't want the added stress and costs of newborns (or close to it) getting vetted then trailering for 4 days minimum on top of the temperature differences between here and there. One of our milk heifers is due the end of january. That's my main stress at the moment to get moved. Really need her there and settled in before she calves. But that also means I have to be staying there to milk her. Have zero interest in milking a fresh heifer twice a day while driving across the country. The majority of the rest of the beef cows and another milking a heifers are due in March. I really have no idea how we are going to make this all happen with the livestock. I'm the only onetak who milks let alone has the time. My hubby doesn't have the time to do it while I'm on the road.
I totally agree on the cow. I've been trying to get her bred for months knowing this could be coming. She went cystic then had nothing but silent heats. I did breed her on the silent heats but she didn't take. This is her first true standing heat so I'm hopeful. The only thing with her that's a plus is she was a show heifer/cow. She will likely stress a little over a long trip but she's very trailer broke and if her daughters go with her (and calves) she should be ok traveling. It's a risk we likely are going to have to take.

I have a suggestion... it will cost some money... but why not find a reliable livestock hauler that can and will get the cattle there in less than 24 hours??? There are dairy cattle shipped across the country every day... I will do a little checking and see what a couple of my dairy farms do. One shows cattle and the other has sold cattle that were shipped to Fla from here in Va... 12 hr trip... either one of them might have a better solution for you. I do know his cattle got milked just before they left, loaded on the truck, and milked when they got off... His are registered jerseys sold to a farm that milks over 1,000 down in Fla...

How many miles from where you are to the new place???

Is this cow one that you have calves grafted on? Why not just leave the older calves on her, so there will be no transition to make sure new babies are eating and all that... just let the older ones have her and they will take care of the "milking part".... You may have to give up some of the milking part... to let her just finish raising these calves until you are settled and can take over milking... and her production may fall off some for this lactation... but if she settles to this breeding, then the familiar calves will be one less stress on her... and you can start over with her new lactation when she finally calves again... there are livestock markets in MO... there will be a place to sell the calves currently on her if that is what they are being raised for...

Honestly with a move that distance, I would consider a moving company that will get it all there in just a day or 2 and all you have to do is direct where they are putting the boxes as they unload...
You said yourself that you have to stay there once the cattle are there... Get the most you can boxed up, get a moving co to do the actual heavy moving stuff, and stop stressing over all the little stuff...

If you had the luxury of someone on one end to take care of things while you were away it would be one thing... like @Ridgetop with their move across country... but they have taken over 2 years to do this... with people on either end to watch over things... and it did not all go perfect and there was a learning curve and a loss curve...

Cattle cannot be held up at check points going across the country... unless there is a question about brands/stolen animals and such.....drivers cannot be stopped and held up at weigh stations and such with livestock.... again, unless there are questions of ownership/stolen animals etc... they will get on the truck and come direct to your new farm...

I will check with a couple of farms to find out what they know about haulers...

It is 12 hours to where we have hauled beef cattle to the VT/Canadian border to a friends place, from our farm in Va. Straight drive through with 2 of us driving one time... just my son driving a different time by himself... He stopped at a rest area and took a short 2 hour nap... hauled at night in the cooler temps...
Temp will not be a worry for you... the weather conditions will be with snow and ice inbetween you and there...

 

[fuzzi]

I believe moving expenses can be tax write-offs. Just a thought.

 

[Mini Horses]

Believe that write off is limited...like job transfers, etc. . But could cover a business move? Worth asking, researching IRS.gov site. Don't expect it