ANIMAL WELFARE (Cattle Handling and Stockmanship) Flashcards
Good animal handling:
1.To be able to move and restrain an animal without risk of injury to the animal, yourself or others
2. To be able to apply the appropriate (not excessive) level of pressure and restraint
1.To be able to move and restrain an animal without risk of injury to the animal, yourself or others
-65 animal related fatalities between 2003-2012
-Handing cattle accounts for 45% of livestock related injuries
- To be able to apply the appropriate (not excessive) level of pressure and restraint
-Calm animals are easier to handle
-Reduced shrinkage at shipping, injuries and stress-related disorders
Bad handling:
- Bad habits
>Lack of training
>Poor facilities - Rush (time constraints)
- Overconfidence
How cows normally behave:
-herding behaviour (protect individuals of the herd, follow the leader)
-animals of prey: look for strength of the group
-prefer to move in a group
-tend to go back to the place they came from (routine is comfortable and reassuring)
-when pressured or rushed, are easily startled and may flee
Recognize dangerous situations: learn to read the body language:
-ear positions
-head and tail positions (bison: tail will rise slightly)
-pawing the ground
-erratic movements
-tail flicking
-bellowing
Bellowing:
-cattle that are very distressed will often bellow loudly
>take note of which animals are doing this
Recognizing dangerous situations: other
-don’t put yourself in situations of risk (isolated animals, handling calves)
-think of an exit route in advance
-learn to read the body language
Capture and containment:
-be patient, don’t rush
-work with another person
-avoid quick movements and loud noises
-plan an escape route
-never wrap or tie a lead rope to yourself
-remove distractions
-don’t lead them into an enclosed space with no escape route for yourself
Dogs, prods and sticks:
-good ways to get cattle to want to fight and kick
-more you use them=increase in aggression and escape attempts due to fear and stress
Using tools to move animals:
-paddles, sorting stick, flag to extend the length of one’s arm across an alley
-not to be used as items to hit
*extension of a person’s reach
Forceful use of tail that results in injury:
-considered abuse and is unacceptable
Tail twist:
-form of negative reinforcement
>as soon as the cow moves forward, the pain stops because you release the tail
*if don’t release the tail, then the animal will learn to stop moving because their choice to move forward Is not having a good consequence
Field of vision:
-cattle panoramic vision: more than 300 degrees (more depth perception)
-fovea designed for motion detection (threats)
-livestock balk at flapping or moving objects in or along their path
Sight:
-downward vision towards the ground is limited (60degree vs. humans at 150degree)
-clarity, focus and contrast is less developed
-livestock balk at shadows, lines or when entering a building
Response of beef cattle to noise during handling:
-cows can hear lower and higher frequencies than humans
-sensitive hearing: no need to yell or scream
*increase in heart rate whenever there was lots of noise
Touch:
-good way to let cattle know you are there, specially they can see you
-gentle interactions will help cattle to respond to you in a positive manner
-younger calves have a wider range of movement
What is flight zone?
-area in which the animal feels safe
-larger when an animal is not used to human interaction, is stressed or scared
-herd as a whole also has a flight zone
Using pressure to control speed:
-pressure on flight zone will move the animal in the desired direction
-entering flight zone from the front will result in the animal turning around
What is point of balance?
-region around the shoulder which decides which way the animal will move
-in front=move backwards
-behind=move forwards
How to handles animals:
-space between animals in a chute is OKAY
>reflects their comfort and non desire to bunch
>will result in calmer animals and easier movement throughout the chute
-too often space between cattle is viewed as sleeping on the job
Role of facilities:
-take advantage of cattle’s natural tendency to go back from where they came from
-useful with small crowds
-use crowd gates as an emergency break
-alley behind too sharply may be difficult
-optimal chute length to allow following behaviour
-avoid slip flooring
Alley’s with turns:
-takes into account their natural tendency to go back towards the direction they came from
Signs of overcrowding:
-cows turning sideways
-holding up heads
-mounting each other
-hunching backs
Black cave effect:
-cattle may refuse to enter a dark building
