Lecture 9 Flashcards
Cattle Handling
What is good animal handling?
4 pt
2 main points
- To be able to move and restrain an animal without risk of injury to the animal, yourself or others:
- Handling 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.
What causes bad animal handling?
3pt
Bad Habits
Rush
Overconfidence
How do herding animals behave?
5pt
- Herding behaviour, protect individuals of the herd, follow the leader.
- As animals of prey, look for strength of the group.
- Prefer to be moved in group or keeping other cows on sight, not isolated.
- Tend to go back to the place the came from, routine is comfortable and reassuring.
- When pressured or rushed, are easily startled and may flee.
How do you recognize dangerous behaviour?
3pt
Learn to read the body language:
* Ear positions
* Head and tail positions
* Pawing the ground
* Erratic movements
* Tail flicking
* Bellowing: Cattle that are very distressed will often bellow loudly; take note of which animals are doing this
Don’t put yourself in situations of risk (isolated animals, handling calves, animals in pain
Think of an exit route in advance.
How do you capture and contain an animal?
7pt
- Be patient, don’t rush
- Work with another person
- Avoid quick movements & 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
How do you use tools to move animals?What tools are there?
4pt
- Paddle, sorting stick, flag to extend the length of one’s 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 prod are not to be used for the routine handling of animals
- Forceful use of the tail that results in injury is considered abuse and is unacceptable
Tail twist is negative reinforcement
What is a cows field of vision and how is thier sight?
5pt
- Cattle panoramic vision: >300 degrees (poor depth perception)
- Downward vision towards the ground is limited (60 vs. 150 of humans)
- Fovea designed for motion detection (threats): Livestock balk at flapping or moving objects in or along their path.
sight:
* Clarity, focus and contrast is less developed
* Livestock balk at shadows, lines, or when entering a buiding
.
What is the response of beef cattle to noise during handling?
3pt
- Cows can hear lower and higher frequencies than humans
- Sensitive hearing: no need to yell or scream
- Cattle had higher heart rate with alot of noise but over time that responce decreased
How do you use touch for cattle?
2pt
- Good way to let cattle now that you are there, specially if they can see you well
- Gentle interactions will help cattle to respond to you in a positive manner
What is the flight zone?
1pt
The area that triggers the animal to move
What is the point of balance?
1pt
The point on an animal that triggers either forward movement of cattle or backwards movement
What is the handlers movement pattern to keep cattle moving into a squeeze chute or restrainer?
2pt
- The handler walks in the opposite direction along side the animal passing the point of balance encouraging the animals to move forwrds
- To return back to the front the handler needs to leave the flight zone.
How do you handle aniamls in a chute?
1pt
Space between animals in a chute is OKAY and reflects their comfort and non desire to bunch. Too often space between cattle is viewed as sleeping on the job.
What is the role of the facilities?
6pt
- They 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 brake”
- Alley bending too sharply may difficult movement
- Optimal chute length to allow following behaviour
- Be careful with gates when animals are around
What are signs of overcrowding?
4pt
- Cows turning sideways
- holding up heads
- mounting each other
- hunching backs
