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[oggimog]

Hi,

yesterday I found two crocodiles swimming in the river in front of my fort and had the Idea of building a crocodile-pit. However I have never tried to catch an animal and I don't want a tame crocodile. Is it possible to dig out the river and 'float' them into a underground cave, or to catch them out of the river into a cage? They did not move by now, so I think I have to drag them somewhere.

Hope anyone has an Idea for this. A crocodile pit would be really cool^^.

[coldmonkey]

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Captured_creatures
Boom shakalaka. No need to thank me.

[Button]

Do note that, as crocodiles are egg layers, they won't breed when wild. If you want a proper crocodile moat, you'll want to either tame them and provide nest boxes, or modify the raws so they give birth live.

[oggimog]

@coldmonkey
No need thats right. The link did not help me at all
It only tells me what I can do with a captured animal. The only think I could try is 'capture live land animal'.
@Button
Hmm. Would not be as cool, however I even don't know how to catch them in order to tame them. Cage traps don't work, when the crocodiles are not moving.

[Geldrin]

It's a bit unrelated, but I have a pair of cave crocs (both male and female) in my animal stockpile, and I want to make them breed. Unfortunately, all the females are ex-war beasts from previous sieges, so I can't tame them permanently. My plan is to tame up one of the females, then drop them into a pit, and provide her a nest box to let her lay eggs. As far as I know, offsprings are inherit the training-level, so if I get some baby crocs, I can use them for my future croc-based meat/bone/egg industry.

However, I've run into some problems. I switched to the animals screen, and ordered any unassigned trainers to train a given female. After the trainers finished their job, they totally forgot it until it reverts to semi-wild or wild state.
The other issue is with cages. If I build the cage with the animal, it disappears from the animals screen permanently. Is it possible to train animals in built cages, or they should sit in the stockpiles?

Thanks in advance!

[Big Bear]

I love setting up a crocodile farm and have done so many times. I have caught crocodiles by lining the river with cage traps. They don't seem to come out of the water that often, but when they do I can snag one.

I have also been able to trap a bunch of them, along with some other wildlife like hippos, by channeling out a downward sloping artificial river, separated from the main river by flood gates. When I open the flood gates, the water gets moving rather fast and seems to suck many hapless animals down into a confined area several Z levels lower, where the excess water flows off through grates and leaves the animals. Personally the cage trap approach is easier, but not as fun. 

If you use cage traps, you can then do mass pitting (http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Mass_pitting) to get them into a pit.

Personally, I would tame them instead, as it's hilarious to see them chase after goblin and kobold thieves.

[Big Bear]

@Geldrin

Training of all animals should be done when they are in cages at your animal stockpile, or when they are assigned to an animal pasture that also has the training option enabled. (Don't put them in a pasture until they are at least somewhat tame, or they might run amok!)

Also, I've noticed that when I'm training animals, I really need to have one or two dwarves who are skilled in animal training, and whose only job is animal training. That's the only way they will keep on the job enough to keep the animals trained.

Remember to make sure you have extra meat or fish to feed the animals while training, or the trainer can't train them.

[Button]

Unfortunately, all the females are ex-war beasts from previous sieges, so I can't tame them permanently.

Unfortunately, enemy war beasts will not claim your nest boxes.

[slothen]

ok, so if you have a wild and tamable egg-layer, if you put the nest box inside the pasture/training zone, and assign a skilled trainer nearly full time, then can the tame creature claim a nest box, and can it have its training updated so it doesn't go wild without interrupting the nesting behavior?   How do you prevent eggs from being collected?  Do you burrow the trainer with the animal zone and lock him in for months?  or use burrows to prevent food haulers from taking the eggs?

[Button]

Training doesn't interrupt brooding.

To prevent eggs from being collected, inspect the nest box with 't' and forbid the eggs.

Remember that eggs won't hatch unless there was a male on the map at the time of laying. Sometimes they won't hatch even then. If you get a clutch that won't hatch, you need to keep collecting the eggs until the mother stops laying; when she begins laying again, they should be fertile again.

I like to make a 'n'ote with the date I forbade the eggs, so I know when to give up on the clutch.

[oggimog]

@Big Bear thanks, I think I might try the sucking in method just for fun.
And do I understand this right that the animals will get untrained again? Or only, during training?
Also the baby crocodiles, are they going to be trained also?
I hope the two crocs are male and female. I have to check that.

[Geldrin]

Unfortunately, enemy war beasts will not claim your nest boxes.

Good to know that, thanks!
I think I'll export some cave  ☼crocodile roasted roast roasts☼ next year.

And do I understand this right that the animals will get untrained again?

Yes, reference is at the 3rd paragraph here: http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Tame

Also the baby crocodiles, are they going to be trained also?

Yeah, they inherit the mother's "tamedess" at the time when they born.

[oggimog]

@Geldrin
thanks. Never tried to train wild animals. I think I will start with these crocs. Lucky I've got two expert animal trainers from some migration waves.

[Oaktree]

I get around the "trained animal might decide to go wild again" issue by putting the animals on restraints (rope/chain) on the edge of a designated training zone.  They get their training and can also breed/egg lay.

[tahujdt]

Bah. Giant black mambas are vastly superior!

Seriously, they can end a fight in two hits.

Step one, inject almost instantly nerve tissue-necrotizing venom.

Step two, crush skull.