People want to come and look, but not buy, I say no. Am I a jerk?

[GLENMAR]

What about charging $8-10 for a tour by appointment only.
After all, your time is valuable.
Tour $ can be deducted from a purchase.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I thought about that, but my wife is concerned about insurance costs. Honestly, if someone comes here to look around, slips and falls, they can get a lawyer and sue us. If we were to charge, we would need to get licensed and tell our insurance company.

Same could be said for someone coming to purchase chickens or eggs.

 

[fair weather chicken]

when we sell pigs we let the buyer come to the fence and select the pigs they want. this area is the outside fence. double fenced to keep escapees contained. when your selling there are no TOURS, unless your in agri-tourism. jmho

 

[Siouxqie]

I think you are totally within reason not giving tours to random people. I live in an area that, over the last 20 years, has developed around us. We went from a small, quiet farming community to a small town. There is a high-density neighborhood along our back property line, and another one to our east side. A few weeks ago, I actually had to chase a woman off my property. She had come down my driveway (the dogs were locked up because I was expecting a contractor), opened not one, but two gates and was in my mini jack's enclosure trying to pet him. The mare down the road is in heat, and the jack is acting crazy, he was bucking, and rearing. Stupid-a$$ woman was lucky she didn't get hurt. Another time, our AWESOME high-density neighbor caught someone from the development starting to toss their Rhodie prunings in with our goats. Our nice neighbor lady lost it on rhodie-woman, and called the police on her. People keep wondering why I want to move so I live in the boondocks again, well stupid people are why. I swear I wouldn't really do it, but I'd like to go all crochety-old-farmer on these people and load my shotgun with rock salt. Get a few butts full of that, and I think people will start getting the point. I remember getting it with the rock-salt when I was a teenager stealing strawberries from the berry farm down the road.

 

[77Herford]

I think you are totally within reason not giving tours to random people. I live in an area that, over the last 20 years, has developed around us. We went from a small, quiet farming community to a small town. There is a high-density neighborhood along our back property line, and another one to our east side. A few weeks ago, I actually had to chase a woman off my property. She had come down my driveway (the dogs were locked up because I was expecting a contractor), opened not one, but two gates and was in my mini jack's enclosure trying to pet him. The mare down the road is in heat, and the jack is acting crazy, he was bucking, and rearing. Stupid-a$$ woman was lucky she didn't get hurt. Another time, our AWESOME high-density neighbor caught someone from the development starting to toss their Rhodie prunings in with our goats. Our nice neighbor lady lost it on rhodie-woman, and called the police on her. People keep wondering why I want to move so I live in the boondocks again, well stupid people are why. I swear I wouldn't really do it, but I'd like to go all crochety-old-farmer on these people and load my shotgun with rock salt. Get a few butts full of that, and I think people will start getting the point. I remember getting it with the rock-salt when I was a teenager stealing strawberries from the berry farm down the road.

I agree with you Sioux. So many just come out to get that tour and many act like they want to buy but then never call back or give some reason only to come and look a few months later at the new babies.
Unfortunately TBC giving a tour to sell your livestock is getting to be much more common than we may want and you really don't want the insurance pain, unless you really do get alot of people wanting tours. Heck if I could make money with tours and selling my farm products on site, I would totally do that.
At my old place more and more people were moving in and doing similar things but even in my new place the town is slowly expanding.

 

[BrownSheep]

We don't seem to have the same issues in the west those of you in the east do. All most everyone here is raised with animals or has ample opportunity to see them. I don't think you are wrong to deny them. Ive only had one person stop to see lambs. Our lambing area borders the road and they just stopped their car. I went out and offered to catch some for them. They said thanks and that was that. Biosecurity isn't a huge concern here either. But you are completely right to decline. One little injury and you could have major problems.

 

[Siouxqie]

We don't seem to have the same issues in the west those of you in the east do. All most everyone here is raised with animals or has ample opportunity to see them. I don't think you are wrong to deny them. Ive only had one person stop to see lambs. Our lambing area borders the road and they just stopped their car. I went out and offered to catch some for them. They said thanks and that was that. Biosecurity isn't a huge concern here either. But you are completely right to decline. One little injury and you could have major problems.

I live in Southwest Washington, near the Portland/Vancouver metro area. I think I wouldn't have any problems if I hadn't ended up surrounded by neighborhoods.

 

[BrownSheep]

Hey neighbor! I live in rural Idaho...well what part of Idaho isn't rural besides Boise, and even there are plenty of people with livestock. Sorry for the crazy neighbors. I wouldn't feel any sympathy for that women who went in with your jack if she had gotten hurt. People have been known to steal lambs and piglets and calves around my area. I pity any body who enters a field with our ram. He has a handle only if you have to sort of attitude. I now that I think about him I could really understand not allowing people backtowards his pen.

 

[Siouxqie]

Hey neighbor! I live in rural Idaho...well what part of Idaho isn't rural besides Boise, and even there are plenty of people with livestock. Sorry for the crazy neighbors. I wouldn't feel any sympathy for that women who went in with your jack if she had gotten hurt. People have been known to steal lambs and piglets and calves around my area. I pity any body who enters a field with our ram. He has a handle only if you have to sort of attitude. I now that I think about him I could really understand not allowing people backtowards his pen.

We haven't had any issues with stealing, but we have two llamas, a male and female, and a great pyr who is almost 160 lbs. She's a great LGD, she know who is and isn't allowed into the pasture. It's only 3 acres, so she can keep a really good eye on things. The part that frustrates me the most is we actually have "petting zoo days" during the summer. I know a lot of people are curious about the critters (we also have parrots, a pet rabbit and a chinchilla), and I actually kind of enjoy letting people come visit... on MY terms. It's the tresspassing, and thinking they can show up any time that really ticks me off. The thing with the jack was the most extreme case, but it gets REALLY frustrating. I think the woman thought that because he's small (around 31 inchs and roughly 200 lbs) that he is "safe." What she found out is that even a 200 lb animal can be really dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. That little guy has given me 2 broken toes, a NASTY bruised backside, and a broken finger, not to mention an occasional nip here and there. I don't blame him though, it was handler error on my part because he's usually so well behaved that I let my guard down, and it's generally been when he's had to have shots, and reared unexpectedly.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Not a jerk at all!
I learned the hard way!
My Neighbors came over amongst others, and wanted to see the lambs and what not. They failed to mention that at there place their cows and sheep had serious " Virial Scours "! Sooooo, guess what, all, and I mean all, my lambs got! Yep, and I lost a some , much to my disappointment! I now always tell everyone, "No ", " Sorry"!