Handling PRinciples Vs. Handling Facilities

By: Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz Production Animal Consultation

One of the primary principles of cattle handling is cattle like to see what is pressuring them. Let’s consider this principle further and how we can design our facilities to accommodate this natural behavior.

The point of balance on an animal is the eye. For years, we have been taught that the point of balance is the shoulder. I continually remind people and show them that the shoulder, rib, and flank or hip of the animal are nothing more than pressure points. Using these pressure points, we can position ourselves and take different angles to steer the animal where we would prefer them to go. Hence, these points are the steering wheel of the animal. Cattle will naturally give you their ear and then their eye, which becomes the point of balance. They like to see what is pressuring them, and once you have their attention, they will commonly look for your guidance.

The question that then follows is, how does this apply to facilities? When I go to operations where they are asking for input on how to improve a facility, I commonly walk through the facility as if I were the animal. In the process, I will video what I am seeing as I go through and then review the footage. This helps me see better what the cattle may be seeing.

With solid sides, you can quickly identify dead ends and areas of closure that would impede the natural flow of cattle. We can open these sides up and improve the line of sight of an animal, which then improves flow as cattle can now better see the handler and interpret what they are asking. It allows the handler to work at a distance on fractious cattle and be closer for those needing more pressure. Opening the sides also places the handler in a better position for cattle to interpret the posture and pressure the handler is providing. If you are questioning whether to enclose or open up a facility, always remember that cattle like to see what is pressuring them. This will help you better understand how to answer that very question.