Does Owning Pet Farm Animals Mean You Need Farm Insurance?
Posted on: 1 May 2017
Many people want to keep farm animals as pets. Others may keep animals as both pets and a food source, such as chickens. In both cases, your homeowners insurance may have some issues with you keeping one or more farm animals for any reason. You may need farm insurance. Ask yourself the following questions.
What Kind of Animal(s) Do You Have?
Smaller farm animals rarely cause any issues. Many insurers wouldn't have anything to say about a pet pig or a couple of chickens. If you own anything larger, then you will likely need another form of coverage if not farm insurance.
For example, if you have built an area where you keep a pony in your backyard, then you may need coverage. It will depend on several other factors.
What Do You Intend To Do With Your Animal(s)?
One of the more important factors is your intentions. Yes, you have a pet pig now, but do you ever plan to slaughter that pig and sell the meat? What about those chickens? Will you sell the eggs or eat the chickens someday?
These types of things can set you firmly into farm territory, even if you're not on a farm. Using that pony example, your home insurance may consider it just a pet. But if you actually take the pony out for rides, or you show it off at events, then your carrier may see it as part of a business.
Have You Made Changes to Accommodate Your Pet(s)?
If you erected a new structure on the property, you will have to tell your insurance carrier. If you put up that new building to house pet farm animals, you may have to insure it separately. If you grow food for your pet in a separate structure, and sell the excess, your insurance company can conclude you're running a farm.
Have You Spoken to Your Insurance Company About It?
Different insurers can have completely different policies when it comes to keeping farm animals as pets. Everything previously stated can come into play, but you won't know until you speak to them. If an accident occurs, and your pet is involved, the insurance company may not cover you without farm insurance.
Speak to your carrier and let them know about your pet and your intentions with that pet. If it's a small animal, and you're going to keep it around for a long time, then you're likely okay with your home insurance. If it's more than one animal, or you have any kind of business involving it, then let your insurance company know. To learn more about farm insurance, check out websites like http://www.wrg-ins.com/.
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