It’s important for the safety of cattle producers, and of everyone else dealing with their stock, that handling equipment is functional and safe.
Tag Archives cattle handling
Good handling equipment a must on cattle operations
Animal Health: It’s important for the safety of beef producers, veterinarians and farm workers alike that chutes are functional and safe
The fall run: the rancher’s sprint
A Little Bit Western: Most of the revenue, data and calf movement come in the fall
I like to joke that ranching is a marathon, except when it is a sprint, and then it’s that too. There are certainly times when you are racing from one urgent task to another. While it feels like the rest of the working world has three to five business days to respond to a request, […] Read more
More cattle tags being retained
Animal Health: Tag makers continue to improve reliability of tags against harsh conditions
The national livestock identification system has been around for a good while now, close to 25 years. Through the system’s growing pains, lots of lessons have been learned and the system is being fine-tuned. Producers are deriving more and more benefit from using farm management systems linked to readers linked to scales, all based on […] Read more
Processing cattle with artificial intelligence
Machine learning is now part of high-tech livestock handling equipment
Many and perhaps most livestock operations still require physical labour and manual record-keeping for handling equipment and processing cattle. While head gates, squeeze chutes, gates, alleys and tubs have become more advanced in their operation, some human strength, exertion and neural competence are still required for their manipulation. But one company says that may change. […] Read more
Make use of portable corrals on pasture
Weaning and timely vaccinations can be done without bringing the herd home
Using portable equipment (some of which is not new but hasn’t been mainstream in the cattle industry) such as portable corrals or a “Bud Box” can make handling much easier when cattle are in large range pastures, says Dr. Tom Noffsinger, a Nebraska veterinarian. Having proper facilities makes it much easier to sort and load […] Read more
Work cattle with safety top of mind
Low-stress handling practices better for cattle and their handlers
As we head into another busy time of year for cattle producers and handlers, it’s good to stop and think about all the increased risks we face over the next couple of months. Fall is a dangerous time because there is just a lot more movement as ranchers bring in cows and calves that haven’t […] Read more
How to reduce stress when processing cattle
Human behaviour has a big impact on livestock behaviour
Reducing stress can help improve health, animal welfare and production of our cattle. They do better when their heart rates, respiratory rates and cortisol levels are lower. Stress during processing, transporting, loading, unloading and any other interaction can all be reduced. A lot has been written and described on stress-free cattle handling. I would encourage producers to check out videos on the Merck […] Read more
Five tips for easier cattle processing
As part of his appearance at the Western Canada Feedlot Management School, Curt Pate gave a processing demonstration at Ceylon Gap Feeders in Ceylon, Sask. Here are some of his tips for effectively creating flow through a processing system.
Patience is key for easy cattle handling
Stay calm, stay quiet and let cattle think it through for themselves
Cattle are smart and adaptable, learning from their mothers and the environment around them. They respond to good handling by becoming easy to manage. Mishandled, they react with suspicion or fear when they see people, and can become “wild” and difficult to handle. Many ranchers are learning the value of low-stress handling and how easy […] Read more
Maintain facilities for improved workflow
The job gets done and it’s safer for both workers and livestock
Because the facilities and equipment around here are all showing some age, I have had to make an effort to go through them a bit ahead of working cows and calves in order to find, repair, or replace items that have worn out or been damaged, and we still have a few surprises. Cattle chute […] Read more
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