on the road

[kathy]

what's the longest anybody's had to travel to get to a show? How do your animals fare while traveling?

 

[CKC1586]

The longest trip we have done is 18 hours, cattle did great but sure were ready to get out of the trailer and get a drink. The humans were pooped.

 

[AAOK]

We were once in a four-trailer caravan from Okla. City to Des Moines, a 13 hour drive. We began having problems in the first 100 miles, and someone was down for a while all the way (rear differential, trailer blowout, radiator, ignition). It ended up taking us a full 24 hours. This was a Summer trip, and we started out at night for cooler temps,(we left at 100+ and ended at 95 degrees). As we stopped regularly, we sparyed down the calves, and fed them at the usual times, but never got them out. They all ended up just great. Come to think of it, they had better treatment than they ever would have in a normal 24 hours at home. :lol:

 

[certherfbeef]

24 hours to Denver. Stopped in KC to grab a bite and watered the cattle. Only drug a few head so they had bedding and plenty of rope tied low so they could lay down.

When hauling a good ways to a show just get there a couple days eairly to limber them up and get them full. Never had any problems.

Hauled a pair out of the Dakota's couple years ago. They went 12 hours and were off loaded into a pen for a few hours and given a bit of water while we ate and went another 15 hours on home.

 

[kathy]

what about 4 days? that's how long i figure we'll be on the road. any suggestions for traveling that distance?

 

[certherfbeef]

what about 4 days? that's how long i figure we'll be on the road. any suggestions for traveling that distance?

I would suggest you make some phone calls and see if there are folks alond the way that would let you off load them at their place so you can bed them down and feed once a day.

 

[SF]

what about 4 days? that's how long i figure we'll be on the road. any suggestions for traveling that distance?

Where are you going that takes 4 days?

I've hauled some 1800 miles in the past. We drove it straight through with 2 drivers. Stopped every 6 to 8 hours to water and twice a day to feed (both cattle and people) Took us about 30 hours. Cattle seemed to do just fine.

 

[kathy]

we're coming from washington state to houston. by my calculations that's about 2400 miles. So how do you go about finding places to unload and excercise, etc. just want to make sure my animals are in fine shape when i get them to show.

 

[SF]

we're coming from washington state to houston. by my calculations that's about 2400 miles. So how do you go about finding places to unload and excercise, etc. just want to make sure my animals are in fine shape when i get them to show.

You are correct on the mileage. It is 2400 miles give or take a couple hundred depending upon what part of the state you are in. I would estimate about 40 hours to drive it. I'm going to send a friend of mine an email. He travels from WA to texas each year. If I remeber correctly he makes the trip in about 3 days. He stops overnight and just leaves the cattle in the trailer. They feed and water them in the trailer. They do not overcrowd them, the give them plenty of room to lay down. They seem to fare alright.

 

[kathy]

I'd sure appreciate any tips your friend might have for the trip

 

[Australian Cattleman]

SF thats very kind of you,just proving there are nice people on this board. 900 klms is the furtherest I've travelled to a show,thats long enough for man and beast.
1500 klms is the furtherest that I've purchased cattle from.
Colin

 

[ollie']

we're coming from washington state to houston. by my calculations that's about 2400 miles. So how do you go about finding places to unload and excercise, etc. just want to make sure my animals are in fine shape when i get them to show.

You are correct on the mileage. It is 2400 miles give or take a couple hundred depending upon what part of the state you are in. I would estimate about 40 hours to drive it. I'm going to send a friend of mine an email. He travels from WA to texas each year. If I remeber correctly he makes the trip in about 3 days. He stops overnight and just leaves the cattle in the trailer. They feed and water them in the trailer. They do not overcrowd them, the give them plenty of room to lay down. They seem to fare alright.

If you don't drive strait through by all means take them off the trailer , walk them and make them a tie out out of straw and let them rest. Clean the trailer , put them back on and go again. Be sure to get there 4 or 5 days early to get a fill back on them or they will look like whipperwills when you show.

 

[kathy]

so my thought was to make some kind of arrangement at different towns, to maybe use their fairgrounds, does that work there's no way that I can be there 4-5 days earlier. will they be in that bad of shape when i get there? i know that i don't want to grain on the road, i'm bringing my own water, any other ideas that could help?

 

[CattleAnnie]

Kathy, sounds like you have a real tough dilemna on your hands. Our calves only spend about 8 hours in the cattle liners on the way to the auction market, and I thought they had it tough until I read about your trip!

Personally, I'd be worried about those cattle starting to get tissue shrink with that tight of a schedule and the distance being covered. Might be pretty stiff, too.

Sure hope you find a way to accomplish your task at hand.

Best wishes and take care.

 

[ollie']

so my thought was to make some kind of arrangement at different towns, to maybe use their fairgrounds, does that work there's no way that I can be there 4-5 days earlier. will they be in that bad of shape when i get there? i know that i don't want to grain on the road, i'm bringing my own water, any other ideas that could help?

Kathy, I take pretty good care of my stock if/when I am on the road. I have never gone anywhere that the cattle looked as good as they did at home. The longer on the road the worse they look. I usually try to take 3 days to rehydrate the tissue to make them look bloomy after a 16hour trip. 4 days on the road and it'll be pretty hard to get them up to show shape unless they are real good travlers. If they are all road broke and calm you might get them presentable in a couple days before the show and a couple days in the barn at the show. It isn't the best idea though in my opinion. Good luck at the show.

 

[certherfbeef]

I'm with ollie on this one.
If you can't get the the show 4 or 5 days early I don't think I would go. Entries paid or not.
I hauled 5 1/2 hours to Louisville a couple years ago. Was there 3 days before we were allowed in the barns and they were still a little "off" the first day in the barn.

Not sure it will do your stock justice to haul 4 days only be there a couple days then show.

 

[kathy]

so does nobody show, unless it's closer to home? What about just taking it easy stopping every so many hours, excercising, does that help take some of the stress off?

 

[ffamom]

In the past, our kids have traveled from Texas to northern states to show in the national shows. So traveling across country isn't impossible. Heck, we were beat by animals that traveled just as far as we did.
Are you trying to get to the Houston Livestock Show?
I know when you get into Texas, in the pan handle and in West Texas, they have rest stops with turn out pens. Maybe you could check with the state transportation departments to see if they have them and where they are located.
Another option might be to contact Ag chapters along the way. I know our chapter houses some traveling dairy cows that are used for educational purposes. They stay a night or a couple of days to give them a break from the exhibition circuit. As far as feeding them, we haven't had any problems with ours eating and riding. If you need a place for them to stay in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, let me know. I be I can help you find a place.

 

[kathy]

yes, i am trying to get to the houston livestock show. interesting about the turn out pens, i had no idea thanks for that info. we are thinking that maybe we will have to time it so that we can have at least a full day turn out somewhere along the way, give them a break and us. If we time it to arrive in your area i will get ahold of you, thanks

 

[ollie']

You can stop at Adams county fair ground just outside Denver Co. They have exercise pens and stalls. Even have a wash rack if you are trying to keep them clean. Check to see if you can get in then before you leave.