Liability with people and exotics

[Citydude]

Is there a specific reason why you want a 12 foot deep cattle guard? I've never seen one that deep.

 

[MossRoad]

Is there a specific reason why you want a 12 foot deep cattle guard? I've never seen one that deep.

It keeps the giraffes in!

 

[gsganzer]

It keeps the giraffes in!

You guys have it wrong. It's for the cute velociraptors.

 

[jimmyj]

Giraffes aside I think being able to keep the livestock and animals apart is a good idea. Not just to rest pasture, but possibly to isolate animals at different times, to keep males from females, sick animals away, there are lots of reasons. Fencing isn't too expensive if you use electric and you can do up "zones" that can be opened, combined, closed etc. There are even temporary electric fence setups that are effective and portable. Is there a way to run water from the pond so you can service the other stock tanks instead of using city water?

I suspect that people might want nicely mowed and tended, poop free areas for events so you might find to get top dollar for your facility it might be worth it to isolate an area in the most scenic spot. As for insurance, just get lots and lots. Most of the petting zoo operations around here are shut down now due to the high insurance cost so it's definitely and issue. At the same time they will want to see the cool animals, I'd love to see springboks etc.

Regarding access, if you don't isolate the area, I think a cattle guard would be way easier than gates. Gates are just asking to be left open for sure.

I think you need to build another lake Eddie!!!

 

[EddieWalker]

Here's a picture from Natural Bridges Wildlife Park down near San Antonio. They leave it open all day long. What I've learned is that you have to have a high fence that goes along both sides of the cattle guard for its full depth to keep them from getting around it or to a point that they can jump across it. I'm not positive how far all of them can jump, but thought 12 feet was a safe width. The more I'm learning about them, I think 16 feet might be better.

Something I didn't mention is that I do not plan on have a lot of animals. Half a dozen elk, maybe ten axis at the most and numbers like this for the other species. My goal is to have a few animals that I can see, but also know that if I don't see them, they are out there somewhere. I do not want a petting zoo, or cattle type operation where they are putting exactly as many animals on the land as the land can support. I plan on mowing the pastures to keep new grass coming up, and not have anywhere near enough animals to affect how much grass there is.

To deal with fighting and killing each other, I will limit the number of breeder bulls/bucks to just one at a time. with probably 2 others that are younger and not a threat to the breeder. They might spar, but dominance will be obvious and there will be enough cows/does to keep him happy. Excess animals will be sold off.

People and the animals are my concern. 99 percent will be fine, it's that one percent that has my worried. If I can keep the people to the reception hall, and limited areas, I think I have a chance to do this. If I can't, I really don't know if I want to have people here.

Eddie

 

[Citydude]

Have you thought about fence height? I don't know about the other animals your thinking of grazing, but Elk can lope right over a standard fence.

 

[EddieWalker]

8 foot statite fence with a 2ft predator fence outside the fence that will be stapled to the ground. All the inside corners will be rounded. No 90 degree angles for them to climb up.

Eddie

 

[Citydude]

Nice! Go for it Eddie.

I went to a wedding just north of Bozeman Montana on ranch. The owners turned one of their old rustic barns into a reception hall and had nice outside seating. The scenery was beautiful. They did the food and beverages, waited tables and they were a close happy family. The best wedding I've ever attended, aside from my own of course.

 

[Country Geek]

Yep, barn weddings are a thing that's popular right now. Just be careful you're not overinvesting to get in on a trend just as it starts to fizzle out (as far as I can tell it isn't yet but it is looking like a bubble IMO).

 

[jmc]

I suspect that when an animal thinks about leaping over a cattle guard, it also judges opening height as well. So if your gate was similar to that Natural Bridges gate in the picture, and had a series of ropes hanging vertically from the top bar, ending above pickup truck height but still allowing a big truck thru, then maybe the crossing could be narrower?