Tips for low stress cattle handling

By Bob LeValley, Oklahoma Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator

Cattle producers have long recognized and fulfilled the need to properly care for livestock. Sound care and handling practices based on years of experience and research are known to impact the well-being of cattle, individual animal health, and herd productivity.

Most cattle are raised in very diverse environments and geographic locations. One specific set of production practices will not work for all cattle producers, but personal experience, Beef Quality Assurance program principles, and professional judgement serve as valuable resources for proper animal handling and care. Knowledge of animal behavior can help facilitate proper animal handling to the benefit of both the handler and the livestock.

Farmers with knowledge of vision characteristics of cattle can help direct movement. Due to the location of their eyes, cattle have a wide-angle field of vision in excess of 300 degrees. This means they have a narrow blind spot which is directly behind them.

But, cattle can see some colors and can distinguish between individuals or objects based on shape. Cattle also have a tendency to move from dark areas to lighter areas, provided the light is not glaring. This can make shadows appears extreme to cattle.

Tips for better handling vision-related behaviors in cattle

• Keep in visual contact with other cattle.
• Try to ensure loading ramps and handling chutes are designed to minimize the animals seeing distractions outside of the working area. If cattle can see moving objects and people through the sides it may impede their movement forward.
• Check for chains, backstops, dogs, or people distractions if cattle are not moving readily through the alley or chute.
• It may help to make sure the area you are moving the cattle into is adequately lighted.
• Paint the handling facilities a single uniform color because cattle may balk at a sudden change in color.
• Cattle have a wider range of hearing than most humans. However, they can locate the source of sound as well as human hearing allows. They are sensitive to high frequency sounds. By keeping this in mind, we can expect that loud noises in working facilities should be avoided, but small amount of noise can assist in moving livestock. Noisy gates and other equipment can cause cattle to balk and resist moving forward.

Producers have long been aware that proper handling management based on their knowledge of animal behavior will reduce stress and behavior related issues. Improper handling that does not consider animal behavior may lower conception rates, reduce immune and rumen function, increase other health problems, cause excessive shrink, and bruising. Farmers should instruct employees of your expectations for low stress cattle handling techniques.

For more information on the Beef Quality Assurance program, or to become a beef quality assurance certified producer, visit BQA.org