Cattle Handling and stockmanship

Question 1

Why need good animal handling?

Answer 1

1. To be able to move and restrain an animal without risk of injury to the animal, yourself or others
   - There were 65 animal related fatalities in Canada between 2003-2012
   - Handling cattle accounts for 45% of livestock related injuries
2. 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

Question 2

When does Bad animal handling occur?

Answer 2

• Bad habits (lack or training, poor facilities, or just not doing whats best/taking shortcuts)
• Rush (time constraints)
• Overconfidence

Question 3

Normal cattle behaviour

Answer 3

• Herding behaviour (Protecting individuals of herd, Follow the leader)
• Animals of prey (Look for strength of the group, Prefer to be moved in group or keeping other cows in sight, not isolated)
• Tend to go back to the place they came from. They like routine as it is comfortable and reassuring.
• When pressured or rushed, are easily startled and may flee

Question 4

What behaviours will cattle display which may indicate a dangerous situation?

Answer 4

• Ear positions
• Head and tail positions
• Pawing the ground
• Erratic movements
• Tail flicking
• Bellowing: cattle that are very distressed will often bellow loudly

Question 5

Key for humans during potential dangerous situations

Answer 5

1. Don’t put yourself in situations of risk (isolated animals, handling calves, animals in pain, etc.)
2. Know your exit route in advance. Be careful of surroundings (ex. ice)
3. Learn to read the body language

Question 6

Tips for capture and containment

Answer 6

• Be patient
• Don’t rush
• Work with another person
• Avoid quick movements and loud noises
• Plan an escape route
• Avoid leading cattle into an enclosed area such as a trailer that doesn’t have an escape route for yourself
• Never wrap or tie a lead rope to yourself
• Remove distractions before moving cattle
• Avoid using dogs, sticks and prods as they are a good way to get the cattle to want to kick and fight
• use tools to help you move cattle (paddle, sorting stick)

Question 7

Using dogs, sticks, and prods

Answer 7

A good way to get cattle to want to fight and kick

Can be used but the more you use them, the more likely the cattle are to display defensive, aggressive, or escape behaviour due to increased fear and stress.

Question 8

Tool use with cattle

Answer 8

• Paddle, sorting stick, flag to extend the length of ones arm across an alley. Not to be used as items to hit, prod, or touch the animals, they are merely an extension of a person’s reach
• Electric prods are not used for the routine handling of animals

Question 9

Tail Twist

Answer 9

• A form of negative reinforcement.
• As soon as the cow moves forward, the pain stops because you release the tail. So animal will perform the behaviour to have the pain release and avoid the behaviour.
• If you don’t release the tail, then the animal will learn to stop moving because their choice to move forward is not allowing them to avoid the stimulus that they don’t enjoy.

Question 10

Cattle Field of vision

Answer 10

• Cattle have panoramic vision, more than 300 degrees
• Poor depth perception
• Fovea designed for motion detection (threats)
• Livestock hesitate at flapping or moving objects in or along their path

Question 11

Cattle sight

Answer 11

• Downward vision towards the ground is limited (60 degrees vs. 150 degrees for humans)
• Clarity, focus and contrast is less developed
• Livestock will hesitate at shadows, lines, or when entering a building

Question 12

Noise/hearing

Answer 12

• Cows can hear lower and higher frequencies than humans
• Sensitive hearing so no need to yell around them. Heart rate increases when increased levels or noise

Question 13

Touch

Answer 13

• Good way to let cattle know that you are there, especially with they see you well
• Gentle interactions will help cattle to respond to you in a positive manner
• Be careful as they have the ability to kick. The older cattle have a smaller range of motion and young cattle have wider range of movement.

Question 14

Flight Zone

Answer 14

• The area in which the animal feels safe. If an animal is not used to human interaction, is stressed or scared than the flight zone will be much larger.
• The herd as a whole also has a flight zone.

Question 15

Using pressure to control speed

Answer 15

• Pressure on the flight zone will move the animal in the desired direction.
• Entering flight zone from the front will result in the animal turning around

Question 16

Cattle Point of balance

Answer 16

The region around the shoulder which decides which way the animal will move. In front of point of balance= move backwards; behind point of balance= move forwards

Question 17

Handler movement pattern to keep cattle moving into a squeeze chute or restrainer (Right angle triangle)

Answer 17

• Move towards cattle head in chute walking passed them and all of their shoulders (handler walking in the opposite direction alongside the single file race). Cattle will move forward when the handler passes the point of balance at the shoulder of each animal
• Return path outside the cattle flight zone, and then repeat.

Question 18

How to set up animals in the chute

Answer 18

• Space between animals in the chute is okay
• Reflects their comfort and non-desire to bunch
• Space will result in calmer animals and easier movement through the chute

Question 19

The role of facilities and their set-up

Answer 19

Take advantage of cattle’s natural tendency to go back to where they came from. Alleys with turns take into account this natural tendency
- Useful with small crowds
- Use crowd gates as an emergency brake

**Alley bending too sharply may cause difficult movement

Question 20

Signs of overcrowding

Answer 20

• Cows turning sideways
• holding up heads
• mounting each other or hunching backs

Question 21

Cattle and Black cave effect

Answer 21

cattle may refuse to enter a dark building