How I started a crocodile farm

BusinessesForSale.com: How did you start your crocodile farm?

John Lever: I spent time in New Guinea where I was working with crocodile clan people, developing the crocodile industry there. When I came back to Queensland I decided that I wanted to establish a crocodile farm and set up my own operation.

There was no policy in Queensland at the time, so we've had to fight the Queensland Government to write legislation to start crocodile farming. The only way that we could get the stock to start a breeding farm was to take animals from the wild, the problem crocodiles.

BFS: How difficult was it to get through that legislation and set up the farm?

JL: There were 18 months of constant negotiations with government and local council to get the thing started. We actually got it started by default.

We were getting nowhere with the bureaucracy then all of a sudden the government had a problem.

The problem was that there were dangerous crocodiles attacking people and they wanted someone to remove them, and I had the skills so we went and got them

The problem was that there were dangerous crocodiles attacking people and they wanted someone to remove them, and I had the skills so we went and got them.

BFS: What does the day-to-day running of a crocodile farm entail?

JL: At the moment we have about 3,000 crocodiles on the site and the daily routine consists of a very strict routine when looking after the baby crocodiles and the young ones. They've got to be kept warm at thirty degrees and the food they are given must be a complete diet.

With the older ones we only need to feed them three times a week, as that's sufficient and with the really big feeders being fed once a week is sufficent.

BFS: How have you grown the business?

JL: By law this is a captive breeding, close-circuit farm. Most of the stock that we have here are animals that are bred on the farm. The ones that we have here lay eggs every year.

We collect the eggs and hatch out the young crocodiles. They are grown up to half size in about three to four years...

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