Beef Cattle Handling and Restraint Lab Flashcards
Why do we work cattle in a low stress mannor?
Free, makes us spend less money in facilities and results in better welfare and public perception
Better performance (weight gain), less death loss and better immune system
Which senses are most utilized in bovine?
Sight and Hearing
Where is the blind spot in cattle?
Directly behind the head
Is the cow more or less aggressive if the whorl is higher on the forehead?
More
What are some instincts of cattle?
Herd, follow leader, maternal, territorial and habitual
What are some ways that cattle think?
Want to see you, go around you, be with other cattle, remove pressure and can only think of one thing at a time.
Where is the point of balance in cattle?
Shoulder
Where do you need to be to move cattle?
In pressure zone, not too much flight
What are some principles of cattle working?
Work slowly, draw them to you, pressure from side and only when they have somewhere to go, comfortable going by you
If you are walking in the same direction as the cow, what will it make them do?
Stop
What is the ideal BCS for cattle? Where should you look to determine this?
5/9
Spine, hooks, pin, brisket, ribs
How do you draw blood from a cow?
- Restrain in a head chute
- Halter head to side with slip knot
- use 2-4 fingers to push up and in on jugular vein, strum, then locate boundaries, hold needle (16-18G 2inch) at a 35-degree angle or less, pop in through skin hard and draw back
What are some extra forms of restrain of cattle?
Tail Jack (90 degrees)
Whats another way to make cattle move?
Tail twist
When do we use a cattle prod?
Only for last resort to get them up (stuck down in chute)
