Implementing low-stress cattle handling practices
Adopting low-stress cattle handling techniques is essential for farms wanting to improve project efficiency and safety, says leading UK Arrowquip supplier Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture.
“Low-stress cattle handling is all about keeping things calm, quiet and under control. In return, this improves the safety and efficiency of cattle handling by minimising stress levels of livestock and their handlers,” explains Mr Wise.
Equipment designed based on animal behaviour research will help reduce stress levels of livestock and their handlers and improve project efficiency.
Here are his top four tips to implement low-stress cattle handling practices:
Audit facilities
“Before gathering cattle, have a walk through the route they will be traveling from their pen all the way through the cattle handling system,” says Mr Wise.
Be on the lookout for things that might make cattle spook, like a coat hanging on a gate or a chain rattling in the race. Cattle also don’t like walking from well-lit areas into dark places, so contrast caused by shadows and dark entry points can cause issues. According to Mr Wise, cattle handling equipment should also be checked over for components that may spook or even injure cattle.
“If you grab the side of your crush and give it a shake and it rattles and bangs loudly, it is only going to escalate the situation if you have an animal that doesn’t want to hold still. Simple engineering like nylon bushings to avoid metal on metal, is going to significantly improve the quietness of a crush,” he says.
Keep things quiet
To keep cattle calm, handlers should make as little noise as possible and avoid yelling.
“You can have the best set up in the world and cattle that have a good disposition, but if a handler is constantly yelling at them and making a lot of noise, it is only going to agitate them,” says Mr Wise. “It is also best to avoid sudden movements. Cattle have a prey instinct, so things like jumping around will frighten them. While this may get them moving, it will be due to fear, which may lead them to go in the wrong direction.”
Use the flight zone
Rather than yelling and jumping around, Mr Wise advises to use the animal’s natural pressure points.
“Cattle have a flight zone, which will vary based on how tame they are and whether or not they are being handled in isolation or in a group. When you step into their flight zone, cattle will move away based on where you’re applying pressure,” explains Mr Wise. “This is why it is much more productive to work cattle in small groups, because the handler can influence the flight zones for all of the cattle, rather than relying on the flight zones of the ones in the back to keep things moving.”
“Low-stress cattle handling is all about keeping things calm, quiet and under control. In return, this improves the safety and efficiency of cattle handling by minimising stress levels of livestock and their handlers.”
- Edward Wise
Take things slow
The best way to work cattle quickly is to take things slowly, says Mr Wise.
“It is easy to get up in what needs to be done and to not fully think the situation through – which is that you are working with very large, very powerful animals that have natural fight and flight instincts if put in the wrong situations,” explains Mr Wise. “Taking things slow and maintaining a calm, quiet environment is going to help maintain control of the situation and keep things moving slowly.”
This article originally appeared in the January 31, 2020 Beef Special of Farmers Guardian and has been republished with permission.