LESLIEVILLE, Alta. – When Temple Grandin steps to the microphone to talk about livestock handling, stock handlers listen.
Diagnosed with autism as a young child, she uses her vision of the world to understand animal behaviour and sentience. Based at Colorado State University, she consults with the livestock industry on facility design, animal handling, animal behaviour and welfare.
“They (cattle) won’t tell you the things that frighten them,” she said at a low stress handling workshop in Leslieville on June 13.
“The first step is just be quiet. If you get them all excited it takes 20-30 minutes for the heart rate to settle down,” she said.
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Low stress handling can prevent accidents, which could injure people and animals, she said.
Grandin said fear is a powerful stress factor and if cattle or horse handlers notice physical signs, such as tail swishing, raised heads or sweating when the animals are under little exertion, there could be trouble.
Often a few simple changes can relieve problems.
“People think they have to rip up an entire facility when a few simple changes will do,” she said.
Animals are easily distracted and become upset with rapid movement and noise, she said.
High contrast between light and dark unnerves them so moving animals from a sunny day outside into a dark barn may cause them to balk because they cannot see what is ahead of them. Grandin compares it to driving into the blinding sun.
Cattle can see yellow, blue and purple. They often find bright yellow clothing distracting.
If squeeze chutes are indoors, Grandin recommends covering windows or openings with translucent plastic to let in light without shadows.
Windy days when plastic or other materials are flapping may frighten cattle. Rattling chains hanging down from a chute may bother them. Tie up the chain or plastic to stop the noise.
Handlers should also work quietly to reduce animal stress. High pitched intermittent sound like whistling frightens them.
Grandin also suggested that handlers remove dogs from around handling chutes. A barking, nipping dog can cause cattle to kick and they will repeat that behaviour into the packing house because they associate chutes with the nuisance.
Proper chute and pen design can make the difference.
“Some new chutes have louvers. I strongly recommend this,” she said.
The louvers can be opened to a 45 degree angle so light and other distractions are lessened while still allowing people to tag or give injections.
A crowd pen and gates should have solid sides. Put a piece of cardboard on the chute sides and experiment to see if animals enter more easily.
“You can use just about any material but it must not flap. Thin plastic will flap,” she said.
If the chute is designed correctly, cattle should walk in and out rather than dash out. An animal standing in the crowd pen must be able to see two to three body lengths up the single file chute before it curves. This will facilitate entry into the chute.
Proper footing in handling areas is also critical. Animals could panic if they slip.
A major problem when loading animals is squeezing too many in the crowd pen, according to Grandin. Producers should stock the crowd pen to the half full point to begin. If the crowd pen holds 10 animals, put in five, even if it seems like more work.
When moving cattle in an open area, attention to the flight zone is critical. A flight zone is an imaginary space around the animal where it feels safe. To get them moving, walk slowly back and forth along the edge of the flight zone in the same direction of desired movement.
Do not chase stragglers because they will eventually come in on their own. Do not circle and be patient.
“When they start to go where you want them to go, back off,” she said.
If they start milling, that is panic behaviour.
When moving cattle in a controlled grazing program, it is better to move them later in the day so calves bed down in the new location.
Move them slowly so cows graze along the way. If necessary, place tasty supplements in the new location.
