Cattle Handling Techniques

Understanding Cattle Behavior

• Flight Zones: The distance which causes an animal to flee. Important for creating movement at the correct angle and intensity.
• Balance Points: Positioning yourself beside the animal to control its speed and direction effectively.

Methods of Handling

• On Foot: Easiest and best for understanding cattle but not always suitable.
• Four-Wheeler: Good for moving forward at various speeds but lacks sideways movement.
• Horse: Offers fast forward movement but control varies with training.

Building Trust with Cattle

• Keep movements smooth and avoid loud noises to maintain trust.
• Transition cattle calmly to prevent stress when moving through gates or into containment.

Preparing Cattle for Sorting

• Pre-sorting: Essential to have cattle ready before sorting; ensures they are not afraid of passing through gates.
• Freedom Through Gates: Encourage cattle to see gates as positive, reducing pressure and stress.

Working with Cattle

• Left and Right Side Awareness: Cattle should get accustomed to handlers on both sides.
• Positioning: Stay beside cattle, not behind, to control movement effectively.
• Cornering: Work cattle out of corners slowly and methodically.

Safety and Efficiency in Sorting

• Calming Cattle: Allow cattle to calm down before sorting to prevent panic and injury.
• Width of Alleys:
  • 14ft: Suitable for horseback handling; requires calm cattle.
  • 12ft: Typically beneficial for on-foot handling.
  • 8ft-10ft: Too narrow may cause panic among cattle.

Practical Demonstration Techniques

• Movement Control: Minimal movement and noise to keep cattle calm.
• Rattlesnake Noise: Used sparingly to increase movement without causing panic.
• Tactile Interaction: Prepare cattle for eventual chute handling by careful touching.

Sorting Process

• Use calm, steady movements.
• Provide cattle time and space to move without panic.
• Step back to facilitate cattle movement through sorting gates.

Learning Resources

• For more on low-stress cattle handling, reference the Beef Quality Assurance Program at bqa.org.