The correct handling of cattle is a vital component of quality food production and good animal welfare. Handling cannot improve the basic product, but good handling will minimise product quality loss and lessen stress on animals.
The basic elements of animal handling are the handler, the stock and the facilities. These elements are all interdependent.
An understanding of these dependencies is essential for continued improvement in cattle handling. Research and practical observations have identified factors pertinent to each element.
These are:
Handler - Desirable attributes for handlers are a positive attitude to stock; understanding of animal behaviour; the ability to recognise and interpret animal actions; and the allowing of sufficient time for operations.
Livestock - Livestock differ in their ease of handling due to factors including previous experiences, breed characteristics, sex and physiological state.
Facilities - Poorly-designed or maintained facilities can lead to confusion and stress on cattle. There is a higher incidence of stress and injury to both stock and handlers in a poorly-constructed facility. The basic element of design is to allow for good stock flow. The larger the facility and the more diverse the livestock history, the more important it is to correctly design the facility. This is equally true for sale yards, feedlots and abattoirs.
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