HELP! Anyone work on a farm/zoo?

[Raven Crowking]

I am working on the revision for the Player's Guide (Equipment section) for the game I am writing, and was wondering if anyone could help me fill in the "xxx"s for these animals? If you work with, or are otherwise knowledgeable about, any of these animals, your help would be greatly appreciated!

Text follows:

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Camel: A camel is a beast of burden that lives in desert regions. This listing is for a dromedary, or one-humped camel. This camel can carry a rider, and/or up to xxx pounds at a rate of xx miles each day. After a period of X days, a camel should be rested for X days.

Camels can go for XX days without water, but should then be watered well, consuming at least 30 gallons of water. Camels are somewhat difficult to handle. They need xx pounds of fodder each day.

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Camel, Bactrian: This listing is for the Bactrian, or two-humped camel. It lives in colder arid regions. Like other camels, it can survive without water for an extended period. A Bactrian camel can carry a rider, and/or up to XXX pounds at a rate of xx miles each day. After a period of X days, it should be rested for X days. A Bactrian camel can go xx days without water, after which it will consume at least xx gallons of water.

Bactrian camels are somewhat difficult to handle, but less so than dromedaries. A Bactrian camel needs xx pounds of fodder each day.

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Donkey: A domesticated version of the wild ass, or onager, the donkey is one of earliest and most enduring beasts of burden known to man. Donkeys can carry xxx pounds for xx days, travelling at a speed of XX miles per day. After xx days, a donkey should be rested for xx days.

Donkeys can be somewhat difficult, and are easier to spook than mules. A donkey needs xx pounds of fodder, and xx gallons of water, each day.

A male is called a Jack; a female is called a Jenny.

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Elephant, War: This is a large Asian (Indian) elephant that has been trained for the battlefield, and is capable of wearing barding. A war elephant may be equipped with a howdah for archers, and will attack using trunk, tusks, and stamping feet. Because a war elephant is trained for battle, it may also be used to hunt animals like tigers without flinching. An animal handler for an elephant is called a mahout.

All elephants are capable of aggressive and/or vindictive behaviour. Male elephants (bulls) may enter periods of musth, in which they are highly aggressive.

A war elephant can carry xxxx pounds for xx days, travelling at a speed of xx miles per day. A war elephant needs xxx pounds of fodder and xxx gallons of water each day.
Elephant, Work: This is an Asian (Indian) elephant that has been trained to perform hard work, including lifting, hauling, and pushing. A work elephant may carry a howdah, but is prone to panic if attacked. All elephants are capable of aggressive and/or vindictive behaviour. Male elephants (bulls) may enter periods of musth, in which they are highly aggressive.

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A work elephant can carry xxxx pounds for xx days, travelling at a speed of xx miles per day. A work elephant needs xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.
An animal handler for an elephant is called a mahout.

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Goat: Goats are used for meat, milk, cheese, and occasionally as beasts of burden in high-altitude regions. A goat can carry up to 20 lbs. of gear at a rate of xx miles per day for xx days. Goats are sure-footed, but difficult to handle. A goat used as a beast of burden needs xx pounds of fodder, and xx gallons of water, each day

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Horse, Draft: This is a large, muscular horse accustomed to pulling loads, hauling, and farm labour. It is a calm animal, which may be used to ride (although it does not perform as well as a riding horse in this respect). It stands from 16 to 19 hands in height.

A draft horse can carry xxx lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It required xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

A draft horse is also called a draught horse or a dray horse.

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Horse, Riding: This is a lighter horse bred for the saddle or pulling carriages. Riding horses average 12 to 15 hands in height. Riding horses are higher strung than draft horses, and are therefore easier to spook

A riding horse can carry xxx lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It required xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Horse, War, Heavy: Ranging between 14 and 16 hands, the heavy warhorse is strong enough to carry a heavily-armoured knight into battle.

A warhorse is generally unwilling to perform duty as a draft horse, and in many cases will not even be ridden as a riding horse unless there is an expectation of battle.

A heavy warhorse can carry xxx lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It required xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Horse, War, Light: This is a medium-sized horse, between 12 to 15 hands in size, which is used to the tumult of battle. A light warhorse is not suitable for heavily armour knights, and is usually used with lighter weapons (or ranged weapons) as well.

A light warhorse can carry xxx lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It required xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Llama: This is a South American relative of the camel, which is used as a beast of burden. It may not be available in campaign milieus without a South American flavour. Llamas are sure-footed, but somewhat difficult to handle.

A llama can carry xxx pounds at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It requires xx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Mule: A mule is the sterile offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. This animal makes an excellent beast of burden — strong, sure-footed, and not easily startled. However, a mule can also be hard to handle — the term “mule-headed” is used for a reason!

A mule can carry xxx pounds at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It requires xx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Ox: An ox is usually a castrated bull, but could be any cow or bull trained to act as a draft animal. Castrated bulls are stronger than cows and easier to handle than intact bulls.

An ox can carry xxx pounds at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It requires xx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day. Cows carry somewhat less (only xxx pounds). Oxen cannot usually be ridden.

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Pigeon, Trained: This is a pigeon that is trained to return to a specific location if loosed, usually carrying a short message attacked to one leg. A trained pigeon covers xx miles per day on average, and typically has a 2% chance per day of flight that a mishap occurs (such as a predator, or an archer), preventing its return to its home roost.

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Pony: A pony is a smaller member of the horse family, usually standing between 12.2 and 14.2 hands in height. A pony can carry xxx lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day, for a period of xx days. It required xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

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Sheep: Although usually used for meat and wool, sheep’s milk is sometimes consumed or used to make cheese. Sheep can be used as beasts of burden at high altitudes, with each sheep carrying up to 20 lbs. at a rate of xx miles per day for xx days. Sheep are somewhat difficult to handle, but a shepherd with one or two dogs can keep a large number of sheep in a flock.

A sheep needs xxx pounds of fodder and xx gallons of water each day.

A male sheep is a ram, a female an ewe.

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Yak: A long-haired bovine animal from the Himalayas and Tibet, yaks might not be available in all campaign settings. They are used as beasts of burden, and their milk is both consumed and processed to make cheese, butter, and butter tea. The fur is used as is wool, a yak’s dung is used as fuel, and its meat is eaten.

Yaks can carry xxx pounds at xx miles per day, for a period of up to xx days. They require xx gallons of water each day, and need to be allowed to feed in areas with grass as they will not consume oats or other regular fodder.

 

[Stormonu]

From my brief encounters with horses, I don't think you can even get XX days before resting the animal (or probably any other animal). I think its generally at best XX hours. If I recall correctly, the rule of thumb for a riding horse is to walk along riderless for about as long as you ride at any given time. Long periods of riding/carrying heavy loads are extremely uncomfortable for the rider and unhealthy for the animal.

 

[Umbran]

My wife is a veterinarian, so I'll ask her some of these.

One thing I do know, however, is that "X pounds of fodder" for large animals is a bit complicated - how much you need depends on what you're feeding them, and whether they get to graze to supplement what you feed them. You want me to assume that this is in the form of high-quality grain feed, without supplementing?

In the real world, the carrying capacity is also not simple - you can carry a light load forever, and heavier loads for less time. If you're using an encumbrance system, do you want us to look for the limit before the critter becomes lightly encumbered, or something closer to a maximum effective capacity?

 

[Raven Crowking]

I assume that the daily average assumes part walking/part riding, but I'd like to provide players some idea of how many days they can do this without encountering problems.

 

[Raven Crowking]

My wife is a veterinarian, so I'll ask her some of these.

Thanks. I appreciate it (and will happily give a thank you in the intro).

One thing I do know, however, is that "X pounds of fodder" for large animals is a bit complicated - how much you need depends on what you're feeding them, and whether they get to graze to supplement what you feed them. You want me to assume that this is in the form of high-quality grain feed, without supplementing?

I'm just trying to get an average idea, assuming something like a moderate load....or even akin to what "normal usage" might be.


RC

 

[Stormonu]

Here's some information from "Noble Steeds" by Avalanche Press:

A horse consumes about 2.5% of its body weight per day in feed. A hard-working horse needs about 70% of its feed to be high-energy food and 25% to be fodder. The amount ranges from 14 pounds per day for a small pony under 12 hands high on up to 28 pounds for an animal over 16 hands high.

A typical horse drinks eight gallons of water per day. After hard work they should be given a small quantity of water, but too much right away can give them colic (abdominal pains).

 

[Stormonu]

From the same book:

[Elephant] Bulls can eat up to 300-600 pounds of food each day. [African Elephants] only make use of half of the food they consume, the elephant must eat between 330 and 350 pounds of food each day. In addition, it drinks 22 to 30 gallons of water each day.

 

[Stormonu]

Same book, on camels:

A camel can continue normally for as long as a week with little or no food and water and can lose a quarter of its body weight without impairing its normal functions...Further, camels have a three-compartmented stomach and are capable of regurgitating and re-chewing ingested forage in order to get the most out of their feed...A camel is capable of drinking 30 gallons of water in just 10 minutes.

Normal speed for a walking camel is three miles per hour; a working camel will typically cover 25 miles a day. Racing camels can reach 12 mph at a gallop.

 

[Stormonu]

I assume that the daily average assumes part walking/part riding, but I'd like to provide players some idea of how many days they can do this without encountering problems.

Heh, would this be something like "You can work a human for 5 days before they need a rest of 2 days"?

 

[Janx]

back in the day, I used to do some work with horses, logging. feeding them, etc.

Generally you'd give an idle horse a small amount of feed at most. "Feeling his oats" generally meant a horse was ornery. Probably because they got hyper-active due to too much feed. By idle, I mean on that your not riding or working.

When put out in the pasture, we didn't give them any grain. They'd eat grass and come up a to water trough a few times a day.

If I recall, a square bale of hay could serve a horse for at least a day. I don't recall having to put out too many each day in the winter. Don't quote me on that.

A large round bale would serve a fair number of cows, I don't recall how often/many my friend would have to put out for his herd in the winter.

Horses also don't digest too well, so they'd dig in their own poop for grain that got missed. As in whole corn kernels, etc. I didn't see recycling that too often, but it happens.

As for not being able to ride a horse all day, that sounds off. By that logic the west couldn't be won because stage coaches and cattle-drives would be constricted on their usage. Now you can't ride a horse hard, or put a heavy guy on them all day, but a lighter rider on the right sized horse could be done all day. just make sure they get breaks to eat and water.

For my experience:
I've maintained horses (fed, watered, shoveled, fixed fences)
I've ridden
I've worked a rodeo
I've used them in lumberjacking (horses drag the logs out)

I've worked with Arabians, Belgians, clydesdales, shetland ponies, and others. I'm no expert, but I know which end the poop comes out, and can tell when gaming material is off the mark.