SAFE HANDLING EQUATES TO Profitability

By: Lindsay L. Allen

THERE

OFTEN FOUND ON T-SHIRTS AND SIGNS THAT SAYS, “I LOVE YOU, EXCEPT WHEN WE ARE WORKING CATTLE.”

While the sign is meant to garner a few chuckles, it hits home with a lot of people. No matter who you are working cattle with – your spouse, your children, your help or by yourself – it more often than not turns into a stressful event that can jeopardize the safety of those working cattle and the cattle themselves.

Loading cattle on a trailer, into a chute, rounding them up in a pasture and more can seem simple enough, until it’s not. However, there are actions and considerations producers can take to create a safe and positive experience for all, including the livestock.

Kevin Thompson, research center director at the Middle Tennessee UTAgResearch and Education Center, says good handling practices start long before the day of working cattle. “Be present with your herd and don’t expect any movement from them. Ride your horse out in the pasture frequently enough so that the cattle are used to your presence and don’t turn up their tail and run the minute they see you and your horse coming,” he said.

Loading Cattle On A Trailer

Jason Duggin, beef extension specialist with the University of Georgia, said, “Loading cattle is often the riskiest part of working cattle because of the handler’s exposure when closing cut gates and the uniqueness of trailer noises that can turn cattle back on a handler very abruptly. The ideal option for loading cattle is through a single file, loading alleyway. This allows for handlers to apply pressure and use an animal’s point of balance as they pass by the shoulder of the animal. It also allows for the handlers to be in a safer position for flighty cattle that may become aggressive in a loading situation, as they are less able to turn back on handlers.”

Thompson echoed this sentiment and said the highest incident of injuries occur when loading cattle. “I believe it is because you are more stressed at the time and put extra pressure on the cattle,” he continued. “If you are loading cattle it is because you are moving them or selling them, which can both create stress subconsciously. The key to safely loading cattle is to learn how to control your own stress level as the cattle pick up on your stress.”

Thompson further explained that there is an art to applying and releasing pressure when working cattle. He said the science of applying and releasing pressure gives cattle time to think and visualize what they are going into (be it a chute or trailer). “Depth perception is a big thing for cattle and when you push them onto a trailer that is going to be darker than the alley they are in, it can create caution in cattle,” he continued, “Often times we push them too fast and then they balk and turn the opposite direction. It’s important to take your time and allow them to sniff and visualize the trailer and once one loads, the rest should follow suit with little added pressure.”

Duggin pointed out that it is not until someone is injured that we appreciate the importance of safety. “The key to safety is thinking ahead in regard to possible danger spots and talking about them with your family or crew. Some of the most obvious points of caution are swinging gates, which are an essential part of loading or getting cattle to an alley. Having sufficient sturdy gates at critical areas in alleyways and pens is vital to safety, and at the same time, gates can be very dangerous when kicked back toward the handler. I always remind producers to close gates with extreme caution when cattle are in close quarters to avoid gates being kicked back into the handler’s face.”

Understanding Pressure Points

Cattle are herding animals, but most likely when you head to the pasture to begin rounding them up and working them, they will be spread out and grazing.

“We need to be mindful that cattle’s comfort is found in being with the herd. We can use their pivot points to direct them – as a group – toward the exit point of the pasture,” Thompson shared. “I always like to have someone pushing the group from behind, someone who stays along the side of the herd and I depend on a well-built fence for the third pressure point. This allows you to safely control speed and direction as you gather your herd. The side person is the strongest link in this scenario as cattle will tend to spread out when moving.”