New arrivals need a plan before the gate opens

What to know

Penn State's introductory guide recommends quarantine for new and returning animals and changing contaminated shoes or clothing after contact with other herds. Ask your veterinarian how to implement separation and monitoring for your property.

Prepare the area, equipment and caretaker before arrival. Keep the source history and arrival observations in one record. A friendly animal or a normal-looking coat does not prove absence of disease. End the plan according to professional advice, not because the separation area is inconvenient.

Give the separation a length and an order

• Penn State advises quarantining new and returning animals for three to four weeks; USDA APHIS and University of Wisconsin Extension advise at least 30 days of separation for new sheep and goats. Mark the full period on a calendar at arrival, and let your veterinarian, not the calendar alone, decide when it ends.
• During separation, allow no nose-to-nose contact and no shared feeders or waterers with the home herd (Wisconsin Extension).
• Feed and care for the new animals last, after the home herd, and clean boots and equipment between groups (Wisconsin Extension, APHIS).
• Ask the seller for the animal's health paperwork and vaccination history before arrival and keep both with the arrival record. Wisconsin Extension treats a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection as part of a sound biosecurity plan; whether one is legally required depends on your state and movement (Wisconsin Extension).

The right length and any testing for your property come from your veterinarian.

Make the next step clear

1. 1Prepare a separate area.
2. 2Label equipment.
3. 3Record source history.
4. 4Confirm review criteria.

Printable planning sheet

Print this page or copy these labels into your own notebook. These are blank prompts, not data-entry fields. Nothing is saved or sent.

Related guides

Before the first animal comes home

Check the water system, not just the bucket

Keep feed out of the dirty traffic

A pasture note with a useful memory

Walk the boundary with a repair list

Keep individual history inside the herd picture

A smallholding review before the season changes

Sources and method

Original planning worksheets informed by the sources above. No clinical review has been completed. Penn State sheep-and-goat page checked October 23, 2026; Penn State livestock-planning, USDA sheep-and-goat biosecurity, and Wisconsin new-arrival pages checked October 24, 2026. General guidance may not fit your animal or local rules.