Home / Livestock / Visitors and Livestock Safety

Visitors and Livestock Safety

Visitors do not know your animals, your layout or your routines. Setting expectations before they arrive protects them, your animals and your family.

Why do visitors need extra planning?

People who live on a farm learn its hazards over years. Visitors have no such background. They may step behind an animal, reach through a fence, climb on gates or let children run ahead because nothing looks dangerous. Friendly animals can still bite, kick, push or knock a person down.

Visitors also bring risks to animals. Unfamiliar people, loud children and strange food can upset livestock or spread illness. Planning protects both sides.

This applies to a neighbor stopping in, a delivery driver, a school field trip and a paid farm event alike. The bigger the group, the more planning it needs. Hosting well is a skill that improves with practice. Ask your extension office whether workshops or checklists exist for farm visits, and learn from other hosts nearby.

How should I set up the visit?

Decide in advance where visitors may go, what they will see and who will guide them. Keep them away from working areas, equipment, manure storage, grain and chemical storage. Show them where to park, where to wait and where the restrooms and handwashing stations are.

Use barriers to keep people out of areas that are not for them, and post simple signs that say where to stop. A fence that stops a visitor works better than a request that they stay back.

Think about the visitor's first five minutes. A clear sign at the driveway, an obvious parking spot and a person who greets them set the tone and prevent most wandering. People follow rules better when someone explains them kindly.

• Walk the route yourself beforehand
• Fence off working areas
• Post clear signs at entrances
• Assign a guide for every group

What should I say to visitors before they meet animals?

Give a short safety talk at the start. Cover the rules in plain words: stay with the guide, do not climb fences, do not enter pens, keep food and drinks away from animals and ask before touching.

Remind parents that they are responsible for their children and that young children should be held or within reach. Explain what to do if an animal seems upset: step back slowly and tell the guide.

Offer a place for visitors to sit, a way to wash up and a clear exit route. People who are comfortable and informed make fewer risky choices.

How do I keep hygiene in view?

Animals can carry germs that make people sick, even when the animals look healthy. Provide handwashing stations with soap, water and towels, and ask visitors to wash after touching animals and before eating. Keep food and drink in a separate area.

Ask your veterinarian and county health department what they recommend for animal contact. Guidance can differ by state, and your local offices know the current approach.

• Soap and water at exits
• Separate eating area
• Reminders posted at animal contact points

Which animals and situations need extra care?

Mothers with young, breeding males, animals in pain and animals that are new to people need distance from visitors. Do not offer contact with an animal you are unsure of. Choose animals that are calm around people, and give them breaks.

Watch the animals during the visit. If one shows stress, end the contact. Visitors should never feed animals unless you have set up a way to do it safely.

Be especially careful with petting areas. Keep the number of people in the space small, keep animals calm and keep children from picking up small or young animals unless a trained adult is helping.

What about insurance, rules and permits?

Rules for farm visits, events and agritourism vary by state and county, and they may involve insurance, signage and health requirements. Do not rely on memory or a neighbor. Contact your insurance provider, state agriculture department and county or local officials for what applies to you.

Your extension office may have guides or workshops for hosting visitors safely. Check what they offer and attend before your first event.

What if someone gets hurt?

Have a plan, a first aid kit and a working phone with a clear address that responders can find. Call 911 for a serious injury. Keep other visitors away from the area and let responders do their work.

After an incident, write down what happened and review it. Adjust your route, signs or supervision so the same problem does not repeat.

Review each event afterward with your family or crew and note what to change before the next one.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.