Depending on your park, closing should take 30-60 minutes each day.
Some closing tasks can be performed by the floater throughout the day. These include making sure all inside stalls and pens have fresh, clean water, including the rabbit hutch and chicken coop, and preparing the night pens for the animals to return by placing proper amount of food and hay in them.
Five minutes before the petting farm closes, close down the feed stand.
After closing, but not 1 second before:
- Politely inform customers that the petting farm is closed and begin encouraging them to leave.
- Close the entrances to the petting farm.
- Return all animals to their night time enclosures.
- Feed pond animals during this time so it is easier to herd them into their pens.
- Make sure pond animals are properly locked up to keep predators out.
- If any animals need bottles then feed bottles at this time.
- If any animals have special feeding instructions or medication, then take care of them at this time.
- Empty all water buckets and leave them together inside the barn.
- Do a last sweep of the walk in pen and restock the adjacent bin with hay and grain.
- Close feed stand down and follow money counting process.
- If outside pens got wet during the day, bag up the bedding.
- Clean any areas that can be seen by the public. Remember that the park is still open and the petting farm can be seen by guests and park management even after we are closed for the day.
- Do a last check to make sure ALL animals have been properly fed and watered before leaving.
- Take all bags of waste to the dumpster.
- MAKE SURE ALL STALL AND PEN DOORS ARE PROPERLY LATCHED/LOCKED BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE DAY!
- Log your departure time.
