Shipping Information for Goats
We do not personally deliver goats but we can work with an approved shipper that you arrange and pay for. Below is some information to assist you in making these arrangements if you are unable to pick up your goats in person.
Payments for goats as well as vet fees and all transportation related costs must be paid for in full before the animals leave the farm.
Payments for goats as well as vet fees and all transportation related costs must be paid for in full before the animals leave the farm.
Air Transportation Options - Air Cargo
Baby goats can be shipped by air cargo most of the year and to almost any destination. They will fly out of Fresno Yosemite International Airport. Every airline has its own policies, procedures and pricing schedules so check with them for details. Do not book a flight until you have checked with us to see if the date, time and airline works for us. You also need to check with our vet about setting top the CVI appointment before finalizing travel plans.
The expenses that will be included in the cost of shipping your baby goat by air cargo include:
The expenses that will be included in the cost of shipping your baby goat by air cargo include:
- Air cargo fees.
- A health exam by our veterinarian, a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) , any shots or tests required by your state and any other requirements from the airline.
- An airline approved crate, absorbent bedding and food and water dishes. Two baby goats can probably go in one medium sized crate.
- Transportation to the airport. We charge a $100 fee to cover our gas, parking and time for the 3 hour drop off.
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How to Schedule an Exam for the Health Certificate (CVI)
Our mobile vet can do the CVI exam here at our farm. You will need to contact her office and establish an account as a new patient, and leave a debit or credit card on file for paying your bill. We advise you do this as soon as you’ve decided how you want to ship your goat as it can sometimes take a few weeks to get an appointment. You’ll be responsible for paying the farm call fee, the exam fee, as well as for any tests, vaccines or anything else required for interstate travel. (Requirements are based on the state the animal is traveling to.) These extras are not included in the price of the goat and are the buyer’s responsibility. Her office should be able to give you an estimate for the costs. We provide a USDA certified Scrapie ID microchip for goats.
Once you have established a new client account the vet will call us to set up your appointment. There can be no appointment set until YOU have contacted the vet and given them your payment info, so be sure to do this ASAP. We will also need all of your information as well as the transporter’s information for the health certificate, including name, address, phone number, email address and travel dates.
We will then arrange for the appointment and inform you of the date and confirm when the appointment is over. Once the appointment is over you will need to call the vet’s office to confirm payment. The CVI usually takes a few days to be ready, depending on whether any tests were required, and will be emailed to us, the new owner and the shipper. The CVI is only good for 10 days so you will want to time the exam and shipping of the animal appropriately.
Below is our veterinarian’s contact info:
Once you have established a new client account the vet will call us to set up your appointment. There can be no appointment set until YOU have contacted the vet and given them your payment info, so be sure to do this ASAP. We will also need all of your information as well as the transporter’s information for the health certificate, including name, address, phone number, email address and travel dates.
We will then arrange for the appointment and inform you of the date and confirm when the appointment is over. Once the appointment is over you will need to call the vet’s office to confirm payment. The CVI usually takes a few days to be ready, depending on whether any tests were required, and will be emailed to us, the new owner and the shipper. The CVI is only good for 10 days so you will want to time the exam and shipping of the animal appropriately.
Below is our veterinarian’s contact info:
Kayla S McCrone
Valley Veterinary Services
PO Box 389
Hanford, CA 93232
(559) 942-1101
ValleyVetServices@gmail.com
Valley Veterinary Services
PO Box 389
Hanford, CA 93232
(559) 942-1101
ValleyVetServices@gmail.com
Ground Transportation Options
Ground Transportation is a good option for baby goats and is the only option for adult goats that weigh more than the airlines allow. Look for a shipper that is Department of Transportation licensed, insured and that specializes in small livestock and has a rig (truck and trailer or van) set up to accommodate smaller animals instead of horses. There are a lot of horror stories of people using fly-by-night "companies" and having animals get lost, stolen or killed. Don't risk your new pet's life to save a few bucks. Go with a reputable shipper! Below are the companies we have either personally used or that have come highly recommended by top goat breeders in the country. Most of these companies have regular routes and their rates are reasonable because they are shipping multiple animals along the route. Many of them also ship LGD's so if you are buying goats and Maremmas from us you can arrange to ship them together. Some routes are not available certain times of the year from some shippers, like winter months when roads are treacherous. Book early so you don't miss out on a route!
- Blarney Heights Farm Transportation - Our #1 choice for shipping for small livestock (goats, sheep, etc) and LGD's. We have personally used them more than once and were immediately impressed with their first class, custom built trailer as well as their knowledge and professionalism. They are commercially licensed, insured and fully compliant with all DOT rules and regulations. They have regular routes back and forth across the country and their prices are extremely reasonable for the great service and peace of mind they provide.
- Tarr Valley Farm Transportation- We have also used this company to ship goats to the east coast and they did a fantastic job. Very nice rig, professional, attentive and knowledgeable. Wouldn’t hesitate to use again.
- Five Star Livestock Transport - We have not personally used this company but they were very highly recommended by many people when we posted on several FB dog and goat groups asking for recommendations. They definitely look worth checking out!
- Jim Hosley - We used Jim to ship two standard Nubian does from Urban Acres farm Washington state in 2020, on the recommendation of the breeder and he did a fantastic job. His rig is beautiful and as a fellow goat breeder he definitely knows what he's doing. Shipping goats is more of a sideline than a business but he does make occasional trips up and down the west coast (and maybe elsewhere?) so he's definitely worth checking out. His rates were very reasonable, too.
Some of the expenses buyers will be responsible for if traveling by ground include:
- All shipping fees. Check with the carrier of your choice for the fees.
- A Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) or health certificate and any necessary tests or vaccines that your state requires for goats being imported.
- Food for the trip (hay), if the transporter requires it to be provided. We can provide what the animal is eating here but the buyer will need to pay for it if it’s an excessive amount for a long trip.
- Transportation fee - we charge a fee of $100 to cover gas and our time if the shipper requires us to meet them at the I-5/198 interchange instead of coming to our farm to pick up.
- Any other items required by the transporter such as collars, leashes, etc.