How to Choose a Site for a Masked Palm Civet Farm

When choosing a site for a masked palm civet farm, attention should be paid to the following five aspects:

(1) A Huaguoshan-style environment  The environment of a masked palm civet farm should simulate its wild habitat, planting fruit trees, tall trees and shrubs so that the farm is filled with the fragrance of flowers and fruit, and it should be more than 300 m away from residential areas and main traffic routes, so that the farm has a quiet environment.

(2) High, dry terrain, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun  The masked palm civet farm should be on relatively high ground, on the sunny slope with a slight incline toward the southeast, and the breeding farm should be built on the upper section of the sunny slope, so as to facilitate drainage, keep the site dry, receive relatively abundant sunlight, and avoid the invasion of the north wind in deep winter, creating favorable conditions for the warmth and moisture protection of the civet houses.

(3) An adequate supply of high-quality water    A masked palm civet farm consumes a relatively large amount of water, so the water source situation must be considered when choosing a site. First, the water quantity must be sufficient to meet the water demand of the civet farm. Second, the water quality must be good, verified by testing to be unpolluted and in line with the national water quality standards for human and livestock use. Places without a high-quality water source are not suitable for building a masked palm civet farm.

(4) Favorable for disease prevention   A masked palm civet farm should be far from residential areas and marshland, and should not be chosen near the downwind side of chemical plants, pesticide plants, paper mills or slaughterhouses. A perimeter wall should be built around the civet houses to facilitate closed management and epidemic prevention isolation; therefore, the terrain conditions must be suitable for building a perimeter wall.

(5) Solid soil with no pathogen contamination     Many infectious diseases of dogs can be transmitted to masked palm civets. Wherever malignant infectious diseases of dogs have occurred, a masked palm civet farm should not be built. For the place where the civet houses are to be built, the nature of the soil must be investigated; sandy loam is best, as it is not only solid but also has good water permeability, so the roads will not become muddy on rainy days.