The idea came up a year ago next month. My husband was burning out at work. The way his job is structured punishes him for doing things the right way. He came home distressed, worried, and aggravated. It had been getting worse for several years. Something had to change. He had already explored other companies in the area without success. The either had the same system as his current employer, or are going to transition to the same system soon. So, we threw the net wider. We strategized and pondered where we could live and still have a farm as well as good jobs. Over the next several months, we focused on the Midwest. My husband and I have lived in the region before, but the state we chose is new to us both. Our son has never lived outside of Florida. The prospect of living in the snow made him absolutely ecstatic. The job for my husband is spectacular. He will be doing exactly what he does best facilitated by a supportive environment. The job prospects for me are also much better in the Midwest than here in Florida.
The question became, how do you move a farm? The answer has taken nine months of decisions and planning. We found pet homes for our sheep because they were bred for the heat and humidity of the South, not for the snowy cold of the north. We found homes for the laying hens because of the problems associated with traveling with chickens. It was a good thing too, as there is another bird flu epidemic in some of the areas we will be traveling through. We found another farm to buy up there that will meet the housing needs of all the animals we are bringing with us. Since our trailer isn't big enough for all the livestock, we arranged the shipping of the two horses to a boarding stable to await our arrival. All the paperwork, testing, tagging, blood drawing and vaccinating is almost complete. The final health certificates will be this coming week.
Traveling itself became a three month long project. We limited the hours of driving to seven per day, for safety reasons. Each stop had to be carefully arranged to accommodate pets and livestock. This is not an easy thing to do. Hotels don't let you tie your cow out back. So, each stop has rented stalls, pet boarding, and pet friendly hotels. That's two different drop off and pick up locations at each stop and a third stop for a hotel for the three of us. With three stops between here and our final destination, we will need to be very organized to pull it off successfully.
The traveling farm will be leaving soon. The list of animals is:
2 dogs
4 house cats
1 barn cat
2 frogs
2 rabbits
(2 horses shipping separately)
1 cow
3 goats
1 pony
1 mini donkey
All the animals will have their food packed up into portions to make it easier for the pet boarding places (and us) at each stop. Bedding, litter, crates, carriers will also be packed. Each cat has their own carrier and all the carriers fit in the truck, along with the dogs and rabbits (in a small shared cage). The frogs get tucked in under the seat in a traveling cage. The large animals will have hay nets, hay, bedding, and feed packed up for the trip as well. A first aid kit will also be on hand as well as containers with water. The truck and trailer have been inspected and tuned up for the trip. All the animals lead well and have properly fitted halters. They are also all trained to load and unload nicely.
Fun fact: Only one of our animals has ever seen snow. That would be my BLM Mustang mare. For the other outdoor animals, it will be a whole new experience!
We're hoping for good weather, but we'll remain flexible.
Practicing eating from hay nets.
Woolly enough for the cold.
What's snow?
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