While bringing home a new animal can be super fun and exciting, it is important to remember that it is extremely stressful for the animal.
It has left everything it has known (unless you have purchased more than one animal), it is in completely new surroundings, it has just been on a car ride for probably the very first time, and it has no idea what is going on.
So, with that in mind, here are some tips on how to make the transition as easy and stress free as possible.
Transportation
The best way to do this depends on the animal and its size, however, an important consideration for all animals, regardless of how you transport them, is that the more space they have the greater the chance of them being injured should you have to stop suddenly or make a hard turn. So as long as they are comfortable, the less space the better.
For rabbits, small cat or dog carriers work well.
To transport goats, depending on how many and what size, you may be able to use a dog kennel or, if you have a pickup truck, there are livestock haulers available (Premier 1 Supplies sells them), and you may be able to build your own. If you do put an animal in the back of a truck, be sure they are protected from the elements with a tarp or other cover if necessary.
Pigs can be transported in any of the ways a goat can as long as you can pick them up! lf you are unable to lift the pig(s) then you will have to use a livestock trailer (it can also be used for goats).
These suggestions also work for chickens and ducks.
The best container for chicks or ducklings is either a plastic or cardboard box.
For all animals you should put down some type of bedding, both to keep them more comfortable and to keep them (and your vehicle) cleaner.
The bedding can be either straw, hay, wood shavings, or old towels.
For a short drive, under 30 minutes, you don't need to give the animal anything other than bedding. On longer drives you should give hay to animals that eat it and offer water to all about every hour.
During the drive try to make as few stops as possible, especially when it is hot, as cars can heat up to deadly temperatures in minutes even if parked in the shade with the windows rolled down.
When You Get Home
To minimize stress, you should unload your animal(s) as soon as possible after you arrive. Unload them gently and calmly and then just stand back and let them settle down.
Ideally you have everything set up before you come home (feeders and waterers filled, bedding spread etc.), but if not then you will need to do that right away.
Remember, it is possible for an animal to die of stress, so until it is settled in you want to do everything possible to keep its environment as calm as you can.
That means no pets that could scare them, no un-necessary loud noises or handling, no abrupt feed changes no running out of water or food (check often at first), a safe place to hide, and no bringing an outdoor animal in the house unless that is where it will live (a pet rabbit for example, or chicks/ducklings in an indoor brooder).
Resident Animals
It is recommended that you keep all new animals separate for the first 30 days to ensure they are healthy, however, even if this is not possible or not a big concern you should at least try keeping the newcomer separate for the first few days to avoid the added stress of having to meet (and possibly fight with) the resident animals right after it arrives.
Once you do introduce them be prepared for it to get crazy for a little bit as they all sort things out. You should also be prepared to have to separate them again should things get out of control or dangerous.
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