Livestock space requirements, stampedes, nuisance

Dalillama · 11-24-2011, 01:04 AM

(Information is from my partner, who grew up in a ranching family)
I am told that you can reasonably put 2 cattle into a stall meant for 1 if they'll only be there for a relatively short (>1 day) time, and twice that many caprids, which means that the 500 stalls could have all of the cattle and about 1/2 the caprids shoved in for the duration of a battle, so you only have about 600 caprids running around in the courtyard. The caprids will need about 1 herdsman per hundred, so long as they're docile/calm, more if the herdsmen are unskilled or if the animals are panicky. Unfortunately for the defenders, panic is a very likely reaction, especially if there are flames/explosions nearby, and panicked livestock will be very inconvenient. They will run into people's path, serving as moving obstacles, trample supplies left on the ground, and quite possibly attack people, deliberately or otherwise. This is considerably less dangerous with sheep and goats than with bovines, but a slam from a large ram can knock a person down and possibly break bones, and a billy goat might well gore someone fatally on an unlucky hit.

11-24-2011, 01:04 AM	#2
Dalillama Join Date: Nov 2004	Re: Livestock space requirements, stampedes, nuisance (Information is from my partner, who grew up in a ranching family) I am told that you can reasonably put 2 cattle into a stall meant for 1 if they'll only be there for a relatively short (>1 day) time, and twice that many caprids, which means that the 500 stalls could have all of the cattle and about 1/2 the caprids shoved in for the duration of a battle, so you only have about 600 caprids running around in the courtyard. The caprids will need about 1 herdsman per hundred, so long as they're docile/calm, more if the herdsmen are unskilled or if the animals are panicky. Unfortunately for the defenders, panic is a very likely reaction, especially if there are flames/explosions nearby, and panicked livestock will be very inconvenient. They will run into people's path, serving as moving obstacles, trample supplies left on the ground, and quite possibly attack people, deliberately or otherwise. This is considerably less dangerous with sheep and goats than with bovines, but a slam from a large ram can knock a person down and possibly break bones, and a billy goat might well gore someone fatally on an unlucky hit.