How many keepers per Habitat?

[Djayc85]

I have work zone set up for my Habitats, all close to keeper stuff, however they keep not attending and cleaning.

How many cleaners should you have assigned per Habitat?

[Tonks]

I typically have 2 keepers for every three habitats, but this varies on the size and how many animals are in it. If I did a really big safari-style enclosure with dozens of animals, I'd have many keepers assigned to the habitat, perhaps 4-5. Assigning staff to work zones can help them avoid distractions.

I have also had it where a habitat was 'broken' as the keepers arriving were convinced the feeders were full when they weren't, meanwhile my wild horses were literally starving to death and being evacuated by the vets. In the end I had to delete all the food dispensers inside and kinda start again. I never got to the bottom of the issue, but replacing the feeders did the trick. If assigning work zones and ensuring the staff facilities aren't busy doesn't do the trick, perhaps double check all is working as required.

[Djayc85]

It's a habitat with Fallow Deer and the new Wild Boar and it seems to always be dirty.

They all got sick so I treated them and cleaned the habitat, then as soon as I let them in, they had crapped everywhere and I was getting cleanliness warnings almost instantly

[GunRunner89X]

Originally posted by Djayc85:

It's a habitat with Fallow Deer and the new Wild Boar and it seems to always be dirty.

They all got sick so I treated them and cleaned the habitat, then as soon as I let them in, they had crapped everywhere and I was getting cleanliness warnings almost instantly

Then you need more keepers...

[Beastmonger]

Originally posted by Djayc85:

It's a habitat with Fallow Deer and the new Wild Boar and it seems to always be dirty.

They all got sick so I treated them and cleaned the habitat, then as soon as I let them in, they had crapped everywhere and I was getting cleanliness warnings almost instantly

that's not only about numbers of keepers.. key is distance between habitat gate, keepers hut, staff room and level of keepers training...

keepers cannot be efficient if they have to travel long distances...

[Sarsgamer]

All but my first keeper work zone ends up behind the habitats away from any guests path so they are disconnected from the rest of the zoo to prevent them wandering to far and thus checking the habitats more often.

I have like 3 vets doing vet research only and manually move them around to which ever work zone they need to be.

For keepers, firstly I usually do 1-3 habitats per work zone. And then 2 to 4 keepers per, depending on how many animals. Also I set each keeper as either cleaning or feeding only, they feel more efficient that way.

Something like African Penguins would be 1 habitat per work zone with 4 keepers assigned to it.

Note on keepers, can only have 2 in a habitat at a time and only if one is scheduled to clean or feed, like can't have 2 cleaning at the same time. Sometimes one keeper gets scheduled to do both if they are allowed to do both and they won't do the second task until the first is done which can take quite awhile sometimes - big reason I now set them to clean or feed only.

[Djayc85]

Originally posted by Sarsgamer:

All but my first keeper work zone ends up behind the habitats away from any guests path so they are disconnected from the rest of the zoo to prevent them wandering to far and thus checking the habitats more often.

I have like 3 vets doing vet research only and manually move them around to which ever work zone they need to be.

For keepers, firstly I usually do 1-3 habitats per work zone. And then 2 to 4 keepers per, depending on how many animals. Also I set each keeper as either cleaning or feeding only, they feel more efficient that way.

Something like African Penguins would be 1 habitat per work zone with 4 keepers assigned to it.

Note on keepers, can only have 2 in a habitat at a time and only if one is scheduled to clean or feed, like can't have 2 cleaning at the same time. Sometimes one keeper gets scheduled to do both if they are allowed to do both and they won't do the second task until the first is done which can take quite awhile sometimes - big reason I now set them to clean or feed only.

Thanks, this is really helpful. Does this mean both keepers (cleaner and feeder) attend the habitat each month?

[grampers62]

Often times I find myself considering how many creatures are in the workzone and setting a base number from that. That requires a little knowledge about the species' needs and the area involved but it seems to work out something in the range of 1 keeper for seven animals or substitute one animal for an exhibit facility. From that base we can add a keeper if things aren't being tended. Often times I find there is no need to train a keeper unless they tend a particularly needy species like elephants.
This just one example of a plan and there might be as many plans as there are players so you do what works for you and most of all, have fun doing and try not to stress over it.

[Sarsgamer]

Originally posted by Djayc85:

Originally posted by Sarsgamer:

All but my first keeper work zone ends up behind the habitats away from any guests path so they are disconnected from the rest of the zoo to prevent them wandering to far and thus checking the habitats more often.

I have like 3 vets doing vet research only and manually move them around to which ever work zone they need to be.

For keepers, firstly I usually do 1-3 habitats per work zone. And then 2 to 4 keepers per, depending on how many animals. Also I set each keeper as either cleaning or feeding only, they feel more efficient that way.

Something like African Penguins would be 1 habitat per work zone with 4 keepers assigned to it.

Note on keepers, can only have 2 in a habitat at a time and only if one is scheduled to clean or feed, like can't have 2 cleaning at the same time. Sometimes one keeper gets scheduled to do both if they are allowed to do both and they won't do the second task until the first is done which can take quite awhile sometimes - big reason I now set them to clean or feed only.

Thanks, this is really helpful. Does this mean both keepers (cleaner and feeder) attend the habitat each month?

I never really noticed how often they check, but I'd imagine both are checking monthly, either way the setup was fine even in my African Penguin habitat that I'd let get to about 800 animals. And it was close to okay in my huge 100k M2 habitat, but I learned that's way too big and big waste of space haha.

I would think if you wanted to insure the habitats are being checked every month you'd need a pair of keepers (one feeding and one cleaning) for each habitat unless they are really small habitats. They can spend a whole month in habitats cleaning or feeding. Though I try to keep my feeding objects closer to the gate, with visiting dome near them, so it takes less time for my feeders to complete their job, but cleaners can take longer.

Also reminds me, if you have lakes/ ponds, I find it really helps to put them into a corner of the habitat and right up against the barrier so theres no space for animals to get on land thus meaning your keepers don't have to walk around the body of water to clean up. Or like with hippos or polar bears, back of the habitat is the water area and only one side they can access, again so keepers don't need to walk around that large body of water. The space hippos or polar bears needs isn't as bad as it seems this way. Though in the case of guest visibly, it's not great, visiting domes helps though.

Side note, disconnecting the keeper work zones from the rest of the zoo sometimes causes the game to put a keeper, vet or mechanic out of reach and possibly the animal they are transporting, usually when loading the game. Or if you change part of the barrier while a keeper, vet or mechanic are in the habitat, it sends them to the guest path instead of the staff path, thus they can't get back. Just have to manually move them... I had to move 2 when I just loaded my game just now heh.

[Beastmonger]

Originally posted by Sarsgamer:

Originally posted by Djayc85:

Thanks, this is really helpful. Does this mean both keepers (cleaner and feeder) attend the habitat each month?

I never really noticed how often they check, but I'd imagine both are checking monthly, either way the setup was fine even in my African Penguin habitat that I'd let get to about 800 animals. And it was close to okay in my huge 100k M2 habitat, but I learned that's way too big and big waste of space haha.

I would think if you wanted to insure the habitats are being checked every month you'd need a pair of keepers (one feeding and one cleaning) for each habitat unless they are really small habitats. They can spend a whole month in habitats cleaning or feeding. Though I try to keep my feeding objects closer to the gate, with visiting dome near them, so it takes less time for my feeders to complete their job, but cleaners can take longer.

Also reminds me, if you have lakes/ ponds, I find it really helps to put them into a corner of the habitat and right up against the barrier so theres no space for animals to get on land thus meaning your keepers don't have to walk around the body of water to clean up. Or like with hippos or polar bears, back of the habitat is the water area and only one side they can access, again so keepers don't need to walk around that large body of water. The space hippos or polar bears needs isn't as bad as it seems this way. Though in the case of guest visibly, it's not great, visiting domes helps though.

Side note, disconnecting the keeper work zones from the rest of the zoo sometimes causes the game to put a keeper, vet or mechanic out of reach and possibly the animal they are transporting, usually when loading the game. Or if you change part of the barrier while a keeper, vet or mechanic are in the habitat, it sends them to the guest path instead of the staff path, thus they can't get back. Just have to manually move them... I had to move 2 when I just loaded my game just now heh.

i think at certain size (100k M2 is totally overkill) is every inner mechanic for keepers work broken anyway... if he check habitat once per month then in this case he's one month traveling across habitat and picking up animal poops...
then he travel into keepes hut to prepare food = that's let's say at least week
they he walk back rest in staff room = another week of time

and you can already see that month cicle is broken by 2 weeks just form this

also if you have water bowls for animals instead of waterpipe or water reservoire that's one extra travel for filling of water (no keepers can't do it during feeding)

[Sarsgamer]

Originally posted by Beastmonger:

i think at certain size (100k M2 is totally overkill) is every inner mechanic for keepers work broken anyway... if he check habitat once per month then in this case he's one month traveling across habitat and picking up animal poops...
then he travel into keepes hut to prepare food = that's let's say at least week
they he walk back rest in staff room = another week of time

and you can already see that month cicle is broken by 2 weeks just form this

also if you have water bowls for animals instead of waterpipe or water reservoire that's one extra travel for filling of water (no keepers can't do it during feeding)

Yea it was my first zoo, I'm never going close to that big again haha. It helped me learn the keeper functionality though. It looked neat though with a river through it...would be nice if the safari type zoo of that size worked though. I had planned like 15+ species in it, ended with 10 seeing how inefficient the keepers were going to be.

Good note on water. I always do water pipes. Or if a habitat is going to need water area I'll do water areas in other nearby habitats with one water treatment/ temperature. Can help to plan your habitats on which are going to need water area so don't need as many water treatments around.

[Beastmonger]

Originally posted by Sarsgamer:

Originally posted by Beastmonger:

i think at certain size (100k M2 is totally overkill) is every inner mechanic for keepers work broken anyway... if he check habitat once per month then in this case he's one month traveling across habitat and picking up animal poops...
then he travel into keepes hut to prepare food = that's let's say at least week
they he walk back rest in staff room = another week of time

and you can already see that month cicle is broken by 2 weeks just form this

also if you have water bowls for animals instead of waterpipe or water reservoire that's one extra travel for filling of water (no keepers can't do it during feeding)

Yea it was my first zoo, I'm never going close to that big again haha. It helped me learn the keeper functionality though. It looked neat though with a river through it...would be nice if the safari type zoo of that size worked though. I had planned like 15+ species in it, ended with 10 seeing how inefficient the keepers were going to be.

Good note on water. I always do water pipes. Or if a habitat is going to need water area I'll do water areas in other nearby habitats with one water treatment/ temperature. Can help to plan your habitats on which are going to need water area so don't need as many water treatments around.

Water pipe is most hideous item in game and i never use it! xD
Instead of it i make some small artificial water reservoires.. don't get me wrong i don't have a problem with artificial look (IT'S ZOO)... but that pipe is something that would deserve some serious rework...

[Meewec]

my franchise i've been going with 4 keepers, a vet and a mechanic assigned to 4 pens, 4 keeper huts, two staff room a water purifier and a substation as a work zone. exhibitions are in their own zone with a mechanic and then one keeper per medium exhibition building in the zone, staff building per two keepers and a keeper hut for each. i also have one unassigned vet and mechanic i train to lvl 3 for research.