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[Lormax]

I haven't had this problem before, so I'm not sure what the deal is.

I trapped some animals in cages and they've been sitting in the animal stockpile for awhile.  A strange mood came up and it needs body parts which I'm out of, so I thought I'd just slaughter some of the animals in the cages.

So I 'b', then 'j', and put a raccoon, a groundhog and a wolf cage out and stationed a small military squad right near the cages.  I hit 'q' then 'a' to assign the animals out of the cages, hitting enter on the animal name with the green + on it.  Nobody comes to open the cage at all, and I have plenty of idlers.  I've checked and they are not forbidden.  I've had no issues when they were horses, donkey or cows from cages I just traded for...but these that I caught won't open.  Any thoughts as to what I'm doing wrong?

[Quietust]

If they're not tame, only a dwarf with Animal Training will release them from their cage; even then, (s)he'll just grab an empty cage from a stockpile and pack an animal into it. If you want to release the animal for your military to kill, build the cage, link it to a lever, and then Pull the Lever.

[Double A]

If they're not tame, only a dwarf with Animal Training will release them from their cage; even then, (s)he'll just grab an empty cage from a stockpile and pack an animal into it. If you want to release the animal for your military to kill, build the cage, link it to a lever, and then Pull the Lever.

Or you could stick them in a drowning and/or trap chamber if you're worried about the wolf.

[Lormax]

If they're not tame, only a dwarf with Animal Training will release them from their cage; even then, (s)he'll just grab an empty cage from a stockpile and pack an animal into it. If you want to release the animal for your military to kill, build the cage, link it to a lever, and then Pull the Lever.

Thanks for this answer Quietust, though I don't completely understand it.  I understand the first part that since the animals in the cages were trapped and not tamed, that only a dwarf with Animal Training enabled will open the cage.  I don't understand the second part though, about the dwarf just going to grab an empty cage and putting an animal into it.   Why would they do that, if I want him to release the animal from the cage?

I also know about the lever technique, but I was pressed for time because of the strange mood...was hoping to just open the cage, the military destroys it, then the butcher will take care of the rest.

[Double A]

If they're not tame, only a dwarf with Animal Training will release them from their cage; even then, (s)he'll just grab an empty cage from a stockpile and pack an animal into it. If you want to release the animal for your military to kill, build the cage, link it to a lever, and then Pull the Lever.

Thanks for this answer Quietust, though I don't completely understand it.  I understand the first part that since the animals in the cages were trapped and not tamed, that only a dwarf with Animal Training enabled will open the cage.  I don't understand the second part though, about the dwarf just going to grab an empty cage and putting an animal into it.   Why would they do that, if I want him to release the animal from the cage?

I also know about the lever technique, but I was pressed for time because of the strange mood...was hoping to just open the cage, the military destroys it, then the butcher will take care of the rest.

Lever thing doesn't take long if your guy is skilled/has no other tasks.

[Lormax]

I'll definitely try it out next time I'm in a hurry for it.  Thanks

[Sphalerite]

I don't understand the second part though, about the dwarf just going to grab an empty cage and putting an animal into it.   Why would they do that, if I want him to release the animal from the cage?

Basically, your dwarves will never just let an untame animal or creature out.  If you tell them you don't want the animal in that cage, they'll oblige your command by going and getting another cage to put them in.  Your dwarves will only deliberately release tame animals.

[Lormax]

Ah ok.  Thanks for explaining it further.  Levers it must be...

[Double A]

Wait... I seem to recall reading on the wiki that if you reassign a wild animal to another cage, the civ will freak out and run away once the untamed creature is out of the cage.

[Sphalerite]

Wait... I seem to recall reading on the wiki that if you reassign a wild animal to another cage, the civ will freak out and run away once the untamed creature is out of the cage.

Sometimes.  If a civilian dwarf is transferring a wild animal from one cage to another, the wild animal may escape, or other dwarves nearby may get freaked out and interrupt jobs due to the wild animal.  This doesn't seem to happen when a dwarf takes a cage to a built cage to remove an animal from it.

[Double A]

In that case, he could just set up a burrow in a room for a dwarf and keep transferring the animal till it gets out.

[DPunch4]

i have a solution that works for me.

i found it by accident when i was more nooby.

if you have them in your stockpile, assign them to another cage that you have built. the creature being wild will scare the dorf and your guard will kill them.

[DPunch4]

ironically i just got in a situation where i needed to do this, i have 20 or so wild assholes who need killing but my technique didnt work this time.....

grrrr.

QUICK QUESTION, do weapon traps attack wild animals?

[DPunch4]

so do the traps attack wild animals or not?

[Sphalerite]

Yes, weapon traps will attack wild animals.