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[OctarineSky]

So, my mason is in a strange mood, but for some reason, he wants shells. I've got some turtles, but I don't know how to make people eat them. How can I get the shells off the turtles?

Also, does he expect me to bring the things too him, or will he get them himself once they're available? Because he's asking for stone too, and I know there's plenty around. If I do need to bring it to him, how do I do that?

[Haedrian]

You can't eat turtles (or fish for that matter) until you've build a [W]orkshop> Fishery.

A fish cleaner will clean the fish (put the task on repeat), giving you 'turtle shell, turtle and bones of any fish (and the fish)'

That's how you get shells (and that's also how you eat fish).

Note1: They prioritise it rather low, so make sure your fisherdwarf has fishing removed for a while if you need them urgently
Note2: He'll fetch it if its there.
Note3: He works in order. If he wants "Shell, Rock, Somethign else", he wont take the rock or the something else until he gets the shell.

[ November 06, 2007: Message edited by: Haedrian ]

[OctarineSky]

The options were "Process Raw Fish" and "Extract from a Raw Fish." I tried both and neither worked. The guy said he needed a "unrotten raw fish."

What am I doing wrong?

[raoul78]

I've always seen the shell appear AFTER the turtle is eaten, not before when it is prepared.  Designate a food stockpile in your dining room and set it to contain ONLY turtles, and have it take from whatever stockpile the turtles are currently in.  Once the turtles are in the dining room, lock the door (with some dwarves inside!) and they'll eat the turtle.

[Sykirobme]

Also, if you have the kitchen up cranking out meals, turn off Cooking for turtle meat.  Turtles used to make meals don't generate shells.  Same goes for fish and bones.

[Paul]

You can also go in your food stockpile and forbid everything but the turtles (using K and enter on the barrel, then enter on the food inside, then F to forbid them) or using the (D)esignate thing to forbid the entire stockpile (make sure you unforbid the turtles)

After you get the shell, you can use designate to reclaim them all at once.

[OctarineSky]

Well, I don't think they'll eat the turtle unless I clean it, and for some reason the fishery doesn't have an option to do that. What's the problem?

[ November 06, 2007: Message edited by: OctarineSky ]

[Klokjammer]

Prepare raw fish = cleaning = make the fish/turtle/mollusk(?) edible
req. "Fish cleaning" , "Fish direction(?)"

I would be a good idea to have a dedicated fish cleaner who does almost nothing else. Fisher dwarves would rather fish than clean and prepare their catch.

<EDIT>
Depending on how comfortable you are with the stockpile interface, you may want to make specialized food stockpiles.  Only the pile near the fishery accepts raw fish and no other food pile.  Seeds go by the farms, inedible cookable food is by the kitchen, and brewable plants are by the still, etc.  Prepared food, meat and edible plants go near the dining room.  hope this helps.
</EDIT>

Also when they want shells, they could also mean cave lobster.  AFAIK there are no other animals that give shells.

[ November 06, 2007: Message edited by: Klokjammer ]

[Ookpik]

Turtles are cleaned with the same "Prepare Fish" option at the fishery as all other aquatic things.  If you put that job on repeat, your fish cleaner will get to a turtle eventually.  And then hopefully a dwarf will eat it in time.

This chanciness with regard to shells has always annoyed me.  I've always thought you should be allowed to shell a turtle deliberately.  In fact, there's no reason why a moody dwarf shouldn't do it;  if she can turn a carpenter's shop into a mason's shop, she should sure as hell be able to rip a shell off a turtle.

[OctarineSky]

I tried to prepare it, but it says "[dwarf name] cancels Prepare a Raw Fish: Needs unrotten raw fish."

I bought the turtle from a merchant. Does that mean it's already prepared?

[ November 06, 2007: Message edited by: OctarineSky ]

[Sykirobme]

Does it show up in your stockpile as "turtle" or "raw turtle"?

If it's just "turtle," then you just need to wait for someone to eat one.  The [f]orbid on the food stockpile is a slick solution if it works (I had to trust to blind luck in the same situation last night...luckily someone ate a turtle after about 6 game days!).

[Hypcso]

Additionally, you could designate a dump zone, and have a dwarf dump one turtle.. It would quickly rot, leaving the shell and bones.

[martinuzz]

bought fish is always already prepared.

[Shurhaian]

I don't know how to help your current situation, but in light of it, you might want to never, ever, ever make shell crafts or anything else out of shell, and be chary in your use of bone. Those two materials are very difficult to get on demand, so it may be worthwhile to designate a nice, big refuse stock[p]ile that contains only shell, bone, and maybe skulls, nothing else. Use some of them from time to time if it's getting full, but make sure to leave a goodly supply.

Everyone else has already said anything useful I might contribute.