Loading cattle

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 8:19 am

Has anyone else had experience of this? What are the options when a purchaser wants to load into a lorry too big to get to the farm?

We have good, stressfree loading straight from the barn here but the most we can get in is a large straw lorry (or the equivalent cattle truck) which has always been adequate before. Any advice?

Ian H · Post by **Ian H** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:22 am

Hi Sylvia
I had this trouble once, what we did was load into a trailer then back the trailer up to the wagon which had got its ramp down get as close as you can then drop the ramp on the trailer, the loading gates opened out onto the ramp. Hey Presto cattle ran out of small dark trailer into the bigger lorry.That worked for us anyway, see how you get on.
Regards Ian Hornsby
Beechmount Dexters

jeanthomas · Post by **jeanthomas** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 9:28 am

Hi Sylvia,

This happened to me once. A pig haulier sent the wrong lorry to collect two pigs from me. Like you we have a restricted access. We loaded the pigs into a small pony trailer, drove it out onto the lane and reversed it onto the lorry ramp (obviously the lorry and trailer were gated). It got me out of a spot but it was not ideal! Good luck, when there's a will there's a way, as my old mum says!

Jean

Duncan MacIntyre · Post by **Duncan MacIntyre** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:21 am

You may be pleasantly surprised how used the lorry driver will be to doing back to back transfers, so as long as you have suitable trailer there may not be much problem. Cattle dealers who visit Bute frequently transfer cattle between the main lorry which they bring and a drag or four-wheeled trailer which goes behind it. They will do it quietly in a lay by with no bother, I have done it myself between my trailer and lorries at farms and on Wemyss Bay Pier. As long as the ramp gates are in order it should be quite safe.

Duncan

Sylvia · Post by **Sylvia** » Wed Apr 16, 2008 12:16 pm

Thanks for the help all of you, it seems the back to back transfer will have to be the only option. I expect my name will be mud with the neighbours if the lane is closed all morning but so be it.

Ted Neal · Post by **Ted Neal** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:56 pm

If you are loading your cattle on to a lorry that already has cattle on board you need a "Multi-Pick up Licence" One of the options on this is to tailgate. It works really well. Apply to your animal health
Regards
Ted

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:44 am

I've got a multi-pickup licence and they came around to see my loading facilities before giving me the licence.