Louisiana Alligator Farms

Louisiana alligator farms …

…Are of the most abundant alligator farms in the United States. They raise more each year with Florida coming in a close second. There are nearly 1 million alligators in Louisiana that are farmed each year. Farmed is not really a good term as they are more, raised and conserved. The survival of alligators is a huge belief in many of the farmers.

These farms do offer tours, to explain a lot of the many details in the lifestyle of the alligator that is not commonly known by people that do not deal with them on a regular basis. Any farmer will tell you, each one has its own personality, but share a lot of the same habits as many of the others.

Usually, you will find that any one of the particular alligator farms will hold thousands and thousands of alligators, and the alligator farms will try to create a habitat to suit the species for its best survival. Many farms will more than likely have several turtles, and also many birds, but they will tell you that the gator is of the most sought after species when it comes to their visitors (hence the name “alligator farms”).

Harvesting the Species

The people that raise these alligators can do many different things with them, as alligator meat is very popular throughout the U.S. and especially in the South. It is most common to eat the tail, as that is where the best meat is on the animal.

Some of the alligators that are used to supply the meat will also use the skins for many different things. Have you ever seen alligator boots, purses, or clothing? The skin of the alligator can be used for all of these things, therefore nothing is wasted. Many consumers consider these items very stylish, and it gives good personality, if that’s your style.

The Heads of the alligator will commonly be sold as souvenirs in gift shops, the Zoo, Aquarium, at the farm, and many more places. These can be a bit pricey but you can find the smaller size head for a reasonable price.

They will not, in all cases, kill them all for their meats and skins, as they will release many into the wild, once they feel that the animal “has what it takes” to survive, as many farmers will take in wounded gators and care for them, back to health.

It takes a dedicated individual to do the work of a farmer. In the opinion of many, it would “get old quick” to try to help and animal, and have to watch your back, so you don’t get bit. I’m not saying that they will just go and attack. About 95% of the time, if you leave a gator an escape route, he/she will take it before they would attack. Do NOT, however, corner a gator, for he then probably will attack, no matter how much you have helped him/her back to health. These animals really need their space. You also need to be careful during feeding time. Watch the alligators eyes… and if they are fixed on the food, then you are safe (granted, you let go before it bites the food). If the gators eyes are fixed on you… get back!

At the Farm

Different alligator farms offer similar services/tours. They will vary, somewhat, in styles of doing things but for the most part, they will be similar. You can pay for their tour and they will show you how they capture the eggs, very carefully, because “mothers-to-be” are very protective of their nests. Most will use airboats, as their transportation through the swamps.

They will, most likely, have a display to where you can see the gators in and out of the “homemade” swamplands. Most alligator farms will have a guide that will explain everything that you need to know from the descriptive steps to capturing the eggs, to raising the animal, to releasing the animal back to the wild, or even how they go about harvesting the animal into goods, such as the shoes, purses, clothing, or even food.

If you are lucky, your tour guide will go in and carefully capture an alligator, tape its mouth shut, and then let the audience hold/touch the gator. If you have never touched a gator before, one word of advice, they are not slimy as many would think. They have very tough, and rubbery skin. Watch out for that tail, however, as it can whip around with more power than you would expect!

Most tours are not too expensive. For some of the better, more educational tours, the prices will be anywhere from $10-$15 for adults, children $8-$10, and senior citizens usually get a $2-$3 discount. Most times, infants can get in free! If there is a group of people usually 20-25 people, then you should contact the farm to check for discounts, they usually have them.

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