Staging Pens

By: Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz, Production Animal Consultation

In previous issues, we discussed two important considerations when designing cattle handling facilities: reviewing the tasks to be performed in the facility and selecting a site for the facility. Now it is time to design the layout of the facility itself, including the staging pens, alleys, Bud Box and chute.

The first area of focus is the staging area. Staging pens are the pens in which cattle are gathered before being moved through the alley to the Bud Box. Most staging pens are designed in a herringbone fashion, angled to the alley leading to the Bud Box, and they are typically 12 to 16 feet wide (figure 1).

Ideally, the staging pen is square or rectangular, measuring 30 or 40 feet in length and 30 feet in width. This extra width allows handlers to interact with sensitive cattle from a greater distance, but the handler must be experienced in using proper positioning to empty the pen. The staging pen should be approximately 20 to 30 feet from the Bud Box, giving cattle time to commit to an area prior to entering the barn without creating a long distance for handlers to travel when moving cattle from the staging area to the Bud Box. Each end of the staging pen should have two gates – one gate for cattle to enter the pen and one gate for cattle to exit the pen (figure 2). The alley leading to the Bud Box is typically 12 to 14 feet wide.

When moving cattle out of a staging pen, the handler should be positioned on the inside corner of the turn into the alley. For example, if cattle need to turn left into the alley, the handler should stand on the left side of the cattle, pressure against them, and allow them to circle around to the left (figure 3). This positioning takes advantage of cattle’s natural instinct to circle around their point of focus, the handler. Once properly positioned, the handler must wait to gain the focus of the cattle at the gate they will exit through; this is referred to as locking onto the handler. The handler then applies pressure to the front of the group of cattle, asking for movement. The handler should never work from behind the cattle. As the cattle begin to move, the handler moves with them to release pressure on the remainder of the group. This release of pressure creates separation within the group and allows the handler to step in and take the appropriate number of cattle that will fit in the alley at one time.

Staging pens and alleys should be open sided rather than solid sided. Open sides allow cattle to see through, eliminating blind ends and solid walls that cause cattle to turn and return where they come from. The open sides also help cattle to feel less pressure. If cattle are too sensitive to pressure from a handler inside the staging pen, the handler can work from outside the pen.

Staging pens designed with cattle instincts in mind and proper emptying of staging pens will improve safety of both cattle and caregivers and set the stage for natural cattle flow through subsequent facilities including the Bud Box, which we will discuss in the next issue.