alligator farming in south Georgia

I was driving back from Decatur last Monday afternoon, a week ago. after taking the Birthday Surprise to Chattanooga.  And listening to public radio.  There was an report from  a small town in southwest Georgia, about a local man who was farming alligators. He reportedly had been in the chicken business, raising hens in barns to sell for processing.  And bought several alligators to put in  pond that would be the solution to dispose of the number of number of dead fowl were creating a problem. He gets more alligators, and then eventually turns from being  chicken farmer to being an alligator farmer.

When he was interviewed, the farmer reported that when he first started in the alligator raising business, he found the little ones he hatched out were slithering out of the enclosure he made for them - at a remarkable speed, which caused him to race around to every farm supply place in the area to buy all the fencing he could find, and quickly install a smaller gauge wire to keep all his 'stock' from escaping. He also mentioned that they are by nature very aggressive, and will bite from almost the instant they hatch out of the shell. This means do not let anything get near them that looks edible, especially small pink wiggly things like fingers.

I wondered if he had installed the gators in the long low buildings he was using for the chicken raising business, when he also reported the 'gators had to be kept in very low light conditions to keep them from being 'agressive', which I assume means chewing each other up. It is bad business to allow them to act on their baser instincts: the thing they were designed to do which is gnash their teeth and claw things: as this makes the skins less marketable/valuable for buyers. The skins, if not flawed by the alligators doing what comes naturally, are in great demand by high-end designers for belts, watch bands, purses, other leather goods.

I am actually getting somewhat queasy about all this while typing.

And then I was listening to the same show another afternoon a couple of days later and some irate caller had complained to the 'All Things Considered' staff that raising alligators in a dark environment was cruel and inhumane. What? They aren't 'human'! They are pre-historic, massively carnivorous reptiles.

The caller was probably wearing an alligator watch band while she ranted. And then I got to wondering what the farmer who got 'gators to take care of all the chicken caresses would get to get rid of all the unwanted gators. Then I remember that the (formerly known as) chicken farmer also reported there was a very good market for exotic meats - so I guess the new enterprise is paying off fairly well. Enough so I am nearly certain he will not be concerned about the people from PETA picketing on the dirty road that leads the the Camilla Alligator Farm.