Handling cattle safely:
No-bull tips to keep you out of trouble
The special skill of cattle handling
Let’s start with a few facts. Cattle are bigger
than you, they move faster than you and they
can kick a lot harder than you. Handling them,
more importantly handling them safely, is a skill.
It’s not a skill that you’ll have straight away
– it’s something you get with time and experience.
Watch skilled cattle handlers and you’ll see that they have an instinctive
understanding of how cattle behave and react. They know where to stand and how to
move. They don’t yell or run about like a madmen. They work together and they get
the cattle to do what they want, quietly, smoothly and safely.
‘Safely’ is the key word here. Every year about 10% of people who handle cattle get
injured doing it. Even the skilled cattle handlers will have taken the knocks – or kicks –
some time in their careers. So developing good cattle handling skills will help you stay
safe. But it will also help you, full stop. It’ll make your work easier because, funnily
enough, the safe ways of doing things also tend to be the most efficient.
People handling cattle need to be well trained so they can care for the cattle, maintain
animal welfare and production standards and avoid being harmed themselves.
The five most important tips for cattle control
1. Keep cattle calm
If there’s one rule that we would repeat again and again, it would be, ‘Keep cattle
calm’. It’s when they’re alarmed and over-excited that cattle can get dangerous.
Give them time to settle down, particularly when you’ve just moved them into the
yards. After 30 minutes they’ll be a lot easier and safer to work.
2. Always keep your eyes open
If you’re concentrating on a difficult animal you can lose track of what the other cattle
are doing. Keep looking around, so
you’re aware of what’s going on.
Safety tip:
Use your voice to let cattle know where you are.
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Practical tip:
3. Use your voice
If you’re driving cattle from behind, keep to one
side if possible so that the cattle can see you
there. This will encourage them to shift. If there
are two of you, one can work from behind and one
to the side.
Your voice is a useful tool when
handling cattle. And by using your voice we don’t mean yelling and swearing. Good
cattle handlers use their voices to calm and soothe. But the most important thing
about using your voice is that it lets the cattle know where you are.
It works like this. Cattle can’t see the way we can. Because a cow’s eyes are on either
side of their head they have a wide range of vision, but when they’re seeing a view
with one eye only they’re not good at working out distances. And, like us, they can’t
see behind them at all. So if they detect movement to the side or the rear, they tend
to get spooked. But if they hear you, they know where you are and are more likely to
feel reassured.
4. Speak softly and carry a big stick
With his philosophy, Teddy Roosevelt would have made a half-decent cattle handler.
You’ve got to understand cattle. A human is one of three things to cattle:
•
They’re a predator to run away from,
•
A ‘nobody’ to ignore, or
•
A dominant figure to be respected.
You don’t want to be the first and you definitely don’t want to be the second. So you
need to show authority and confidence or you’ll have trouble.
So, first thing, carry a length of alkathene pipe (a waddy) or a long stick. If you’ve got
a waddy, it makes you look bigger. It also gives you confidence when you’re dealing
with toey animals, which is no bad thing.
If you stand front-on with your waddy outstretched, you’re domineering and positive.
By the same token, if you want to take pressure off – say for example when a bull is
giving you a dirty look – you can take the heat out of the situation by lowering the
waddy and turning side-on. And if the dirty look becomes more than a dirty look, the
waddy’s handy for making your intentions absolutely clear with a sharp whack across
the nose.
5. Always check the yards before moving cattle in
This is basic housework stuff, particularly if you’re in yards where you haven’t worked
before. Check the layout and know how things work before you take the cattle in.
Check the headbail is working smoothly and is adjusted for the size of cattle, and
remove any large stones, wire or nails sticking up, stray posts and bits of timber and
containers lying around so that you don’t trip over them. Check all gates are properly
latched and they can be opened or closed quickly.
Safety tip:
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Keep a safe distance and use a pipe or stick to
make contact – but don’t go overboard with it.
Getting cattle moving
Know what upsets cattle
Animals are not dumb. Like us there are things that upset them and there are things
that calm them down. Get to understand them and it will make your job a lot easier.
What makes cattle flighty?
•
Being hungry
•
Excessive noise – dogs barking,
you shouting, motorbikes
revving
•
Beating. Funny that
•
Electric prodders – they’re
not safe to use, especially in
restricted areas or on bulls. They
just make a bull angry and move
so fast you won’t have time
to get out of the way. And you
might end up zapping yourself
•
Painful, new or strange objects
•
Being chased
•
People getting in their ‘personal
space’, particularly around the
head
•
Having an injury or disease of
some sort.
What calms them down?
•
Familiarity and familiar people
•
Gentle, low sounds. There goes
the yelling
•
Rhythmical sounds
•
Stroking
•
Silence.
Try gentle handling
Cattle have good memories. They learn
quickly and they soon work out who
beats them and who treats them well.
There are going to be times when it’s
And you reckon it won’t happen
to you?
Brian* is a stock truck driver. He was
unloading cattle off his truck at the
freezing works and was down to the last
pen that had two bulls in it. One of the
bulls had been agitated when he loaded
but seemed to have calmed down. As he
opened the door, the bull saw him and
charged the door, squeezing Brian between
the door and the wall of the truck. The
bull pummelled it again and again, about
20 times, ‘pounding the shit out of me’,
as Brian said. Even when the bull left
the truck and somebody came to help, it
returned and tried to have another go.
Brian was airlifted to hospital where it
was touch and go. He had both lungs
punctured, most of his ribs broken off
his sternum, part of a rib in one lung, a
collarbone broken off his sternum, the
hinges of his jaw broken as well as the jaw
bone broken in two places, a broken nose,
a cracked eye socket, both shoulder joints
popped out and considerable nerve and
muscle damage.
He was off work for 15 months. For the
first few months he couldn’t lie down to
sleep and ate nothing but soft foods. He
still gets horrendous headaches and aches
and pains.
Brian had been around cattle most of
his life, so he was far from inexperienced
with stock. “Perhaps I was too blasé,”
he says. “If I’d been worried I’d have
opened the door a wee way then climbed
up on the next floor out of the way.” But
he didn’t. He was lucky to survive. Today,
fortunately, he’s back driving trucks but
can’t do any heavy lifting work.
* Names have been changed to protect privacy
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Safety tip:
Approach animals from the front or the side
– where they can see you.
inevitable that they get stressed, such as castration, weaning and the first milking.
If you’re gentle at those times with young cattle, it’ll pay off in the future with well
behaved beasts.
Learn how to use the ‘flight distance’
The ‘flight distance’ is the fancy term for knowing how close you can get to cattle
before they start moving. With dairy cattle that are regularly handled, it may be five
metres or less. With a herd of beef cattle that have been out the back for a while,
they’ll be off if you get within 100 metres.
So you can get cattle moving by entering their flight distance. The closer you get, the
faster they will move away. You can manage the speed with which they move by how
close you get to them. Conversely, if you want to stop them moving, you step out of
their flight distance.
The next trick is to understand what’s called the ‘balance lines’. There are two
balance lines.
One runs across the shoulders and the other runs along the backbone. It all sounds a
bit technical but it’s really simple. When you’re working up close, whichever way you
move through those lines, the animal will move the other way.
•
If you’re alongside the animal and move forward, it will move backward
•
If you go back, it will go forward
•
If you’re in front and move to the left, it will move to your right.
Practical tip:
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Know how to position yourself so that the
cattle go the way you want them to.
You get the picture. It’s like playing rugby when you’re going to tackle the opposition.
Except your movements are calm and considered and there are no selectors
watching you.
Getting a bit firm. But just a bit
There are times when a slap on the nose or back with your waddy or hand is useful for
getting cattle moving along a race.
Apart from that, beating cattle is really stupid and a waste of energy. In fact it’s more
a sign that the person doing it is not in control.
A few points here. Beating cattle just stirs them up – it makes them harder to work
with and it makes them more dangerous. Not good.
The really dominant characters always stick to the middle of the mob, so whacking
the tail-enders is futile. All that will happen is that when the dominant animals are
pushed by the inferior animals, they’ll turn on them, so you’ll have even more chaos.
If you poke animals already going in the right direction, the chances are that they’re
going to kick back at you.
Electric prodders. Try not to use them if you can avoid it. All they do is stir cattle up.
And avoid chasing cattle. They’ll see you as a predator and they’ll start fearing you.
This particularly applies to young dairy cattle that are going to be handled a lot.
If in doubt, seek the advice of an experienced stockperson who can show you safe
ways of moving cattle without causing them harm.
Look out for the ‘rogues’
Bulls
Never trust any bull – particularly the ‘lone bull’ reared or kept in isolation. And never,
ever, turn your back on a bull – they can kill. Bulls are more dangerous the older
they get.
Cull all ‘wild’ animals to the works. Don’t sell your problem beasts to another farm.
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Safety tip:
Get heifers used to the milking shed prior to
calving – this will make them easier to handle
when milking starts.
What to do in specific situations
Mustering
•
Mustering is best early in the morning or towards nightfall when the
temperatures are cooler and the animals have had a long grazing period
•
Prepare the route in advance. Open the gates and work out where you should
be on guard – places where the cattle are likely to break away
•
Use the flight distance to move them. Stay on the fringes and to one side so
they don’t panic and scatter
•
Horses are good. Motorbikes are less good – the noise can annoy some cattle.
Dogs and stockwhips can be helpful
•
A bit about dogs – you should only use well trained dogs for cattle work. Use
them for mustering but tie them up once the cattle are in the yards. If you’re
using dogs in the yards they should be under control and not too noisy. Noise
gets the cattle worked up. Dogs are good when you’re moving an aggressive
bull, as they act as a decoy. There have been a number of times when dogs
have drawn or driven a bull or aggressive cow away after it has attacked a
handler
•
Move cows and calves slowly and handle them gently. Look out for the
aggressive mother cows and try to avoid mustering beef cows with very young
calves. They’re trouble waiting to happen. And if you’re using dogs, silent dogs
are better than barking dogs in this situation.
Cows with calves
•
Give the cows time to pick up their calves before moving them
•
If you have to catch a calf, keep it between you and the mother and if possible
keep a fence or truck between you and the cow
•
Keep the calf quiet by holding its mouth shut.
Moving bulls
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•
Move confidently, but carefully. It’s vital that you show dominance
•
Get a mate and use a tractor, or a well trained dog, or bring the bull along with
a group of steers or cows to help keep it calm
•
Keep bulls moving at a trot until they’re well into the paddock and clear of
the gate
•
Keep well clear of a fighting pair
•
And always, always, have a long, strong stick and be ready to use it.
Drenching
•
With large cattle, if you can, use a pour-on. If you can’t, use a headbail.
Approach the head from the side (not the front), run your hand from the neck
under the ear and along the jawbone, then cup the jaw in your hand. Keep your
head away from the animal’s head in case it jerks up
•
You can drench smaller cattle in the race but pack them in tight, work from the
front to the back and make sure you’re wearing boots with toe-caps
•
Try to make the experience as pleasant as possible or the cattle will resist
next time.
Drafting
•
Draft quiet cattle from more excitable stock rather than the other way around
•
Draft in small mobs of up to 50. The pens should be half full so there’s room for
movement, but not room for scattering
•
If you make a mistake, fix it at the end of the draft
•
When you’ve finished drafting, keep the two mobs where they can see each
other. This will settle them more quickly.
Working cattle through the race
•
Give cattle 20 to 30 minutes in the yard to settle them down
•
Work with a partner if you can. It’s a lot safer
•
Don’t overfill the forcing pen. Make sure the cattle have room to turn towards
the race mouth
•
Pack the race as tightly as possible.
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•
Never, whatever you do, get in the race with large cattle. They can roll
you along the wall or crush you against it. It’s an interesting way to get
seriously hurt
•
Also, don’t put your arms, head or legs through the race walls. Reversing
cattle. Snap
•
If there’s a catwalk, use it.
In the crush
•
Using a hock bar can be seriously dangerous. Cattle have enormous weight
and power and the hock bar can be easily knocked forward, back or up
•
Always stand at the end of the bar, not the side, and keep it at arm’s length in
case it jerks upward.
Cattle ear tagging
•
Inserting cattle tags is always a risky job as their neck muscles are way
stronger than your arms. The job needs to be done by a suitably strong person
•
You must have the correct applicator for the type of tag you are using, and it
must be in excellent condition. If it’s faulty, replace it before you start
•
Tag insertion should only be done in dry conditions. This reduces your feet
slipping and assists the wound to dry
•
Try to get all their heads up before you start the job
•
Always work from above the animals’ head – never through the rails
•
For really stroppy animals and bulls, use a headbail
•
Take particular care if they have horn stubs
•
Work really quickly once you are ready to insert the tag and be alert for any
sudden head movement
•
Pack them tightly. Check that the race is strong enough for the job. You don’t
want the rails collapsing during the job
•
Get the whole job over quickly so the cattle are confined for only a short time.
In the dairy shed
•
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Farmers and workers get injured moving dairy cows in and out of the dairy
shed; they sometimes get kicked during milking, can fall on slippery floors, or
get injured while herd testing. It pays to make sure these jobs are only done by
experienced people who know the hazards involved and how to avoid them.
Simple things like wearing non-slip boots can make all the difference.
Injecting/vaccinating
•
Pack the cattle tightly in the race
•
Avoid trying to push the syringe in from a distance. Try laying your hand with
the syringe against the neck, then twist your hand and inject – the animal
might not even react.
Dehorning/implanting growth promotants
•
•
•
Never do this when you’re alone
in the race
Use a good headbail and a nose
bar if you can
When you let the animal out,
stand well clear as it could turn
and attack.
Loading/unloading
•
Use all the available gates to
stop the cattle reversing
•
Walk down the ramp or catwalk
to encourage the animals to go
up (and vice versa)
•
Remember that driving the mob
from the rear won’t speed up
loading – the dominant cattle
in the middle won’t be pushed
along by the tail-enders
•
Give the cattle time to unload –
they will follow each other.
And you reckon it won’t happen
to you?
Rod* did a job that’s done thousands
of times a day in farms across
New Zealand every spring – tagging a calf.
But this time it went horribly wrong.
He was bending over to insert the tag in
the calf when the cow decided to intervene.
It wasn’t a full-on charge but it was a hit
nevertheless, and the power and angle
of it were enough to dislocate Rod’s
neck between the 5th and 6th vertebrae.
Rod knew something pretty serious had
happened but, to make matters worse, the
cow came back at him another two times,
breaking, as he later discovered, his pelvis.
Luckily the paddock was near the road
and a neighbour saw him and called
an ambulance. Later that night he was
airlifted to Burwood Spinal Unit where the
full extent of his injuries became apparent.
He had no feeling or movement in his legs
and very little in his arms or from the chest
down. He was a quadriplegic and remains
so today. It stopped his farming, which
was pretty tough for a fourth-generation
farmer. It also led to the sale of his farm
and the end of his marriage two years after
the accident.
Rod now fills his time with a number of
part-time jobs. He reflects on the accident.
“The reality of farming is that it’s more
dangerous than a lot of occupations,” he
says. “You’re out among cattle all day;
you’re riding your four-wheeler; you’re
using potentially dangerous instruments
all the time. Just be aware that an accident
can happen.”
* Names have been changed to protect privacy
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How to design better cattle yards
Confined spaces and close proximity to cattle are potentially a bit of a lethal cocktail.
Well designed and well maintained yards make it a lot safer, not to mention easier.
If you’re building new yards or if you’re adding to your existing yards, on the next page
are a few thoughts from cattle-handling experts.
The benefits of steel yards
Steel yards with concrete floors make handling cattle a lot easier and, when you have
things like steel headbails, a lot safer. They can be a bit noisy, but that’s nothing that well
placed bits of rubber won’t fix. On the plus side, they’re rugged, they don’t break, they’re
low maintenance and they’re easy to clean. If you’re building new yards or refitting your
existing yards – and you can afford it – steel yards are a good option.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge Kevin Stafford for all his help.
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The race – straight design, dog-leg or curved
Straight races with boarded-up sides and an
inviting, non-threatening view through the
head-bail (to open pasture, other cattle) reduce
stress to cattle and make them safer to handle.
Self-closing latches on gates
Make the race gate self-closing and
install self-closing latches – these keep
arms and hands out of harm’s way.
Align vet gate, scales, crush and headbail so
cattle are drawn to the view at the end without
having to be diverted to less inviting areas.
‘Straight-through’ design
• Have no bars or gaps where hooves can get trapped.
release of downers
• Be well anchored and well lubricated
• Be easily dismantled for servicing or quick
Headbail
Position the headbail to give the appearance
of a clear view to open space or other cattle
beyond. It should:
• Be quick and quiet, and close gently
Have the steel hock bar on a secure ratchet.
Split side gates
Have split side gates in the crush pen for
easy access to different parts of the animal.
forcing pen.
race at about belt-buckle height, sturdily
built, and wide.
• Slots provide easy access to and from the
Catwalks
• Cover catwalks with chicken wire for safe,
non-slip grip in the wet.
• Install catwalks along the forcing pen,
loading ramps and race. Have the top of the
Covered weighing platform
A simple ply ceiling over the weighing
platform helps keep animals calm.
only the escape into the race.
Blank sides off with ply sheeting so cattle
can’t see other cattle or people – they see
Narrow forcing pen
Have it narrow enough to be worked by one
handler from the catwalk, yet with room for
two races-full at a time.
keep your leg close to the gate
so that you don’t get hit hard
if the gate gets stuck and flies
towards you.
Safety tip: Open and close
gates with your lower leg and
Sturdy vet gate
Blank it off, and ensure it swings across the
race and latches so cattle can’t push past.
facing away from the handler.
Boarded-off corners
Eliminate corners where cattle bunch awkwardly,
Ensure gudgeons are reversed with no parts
sticking out.
Free-swinging gate
Have well oiled gates that swing freely and
through a wide arc.
Safety tip:
Plan your escape route before entering any yard
where cattle are present.
Other safety tips
How to avoid getting kicked
Never underestimate the speed, power or accuracy of a beast’s kick. Either stand well
back and out of range or, when you’re working close, turn side-on and get right in
against it. If there’s space between you and the animal, it allows the kick to accelerate
before it hits you.
Wear the right gear
Leather boots with steel toe-caps are best. If you’re wearing gumboots, they should
have toe-caps. A strong pair of trousers and leggings will soften the severity of any
kicking injuries. Take your wrist watch and any loose jewellery off and roll your sleeves
down in case you’re rubbed against any fences or timber.
Mind your head, arms and legs
Never poke your head, arms or legs through the boarding into the race. And don’t lean
over an animal’s head or bend down over it under a cross-tie. If there’s a catwalk, use
it. It keeps you out of harm’s way and it makes you look bigger and more dominant.
Know what to do when it all turns bad
In dangerous situations, turn side-on to cattle. It makes you look smaller and less
threatening. Always have an escape route planned in case there’s trouble.
If you get cornered by a bull, shout loudly and strike it repeatedly on the nose to make
it close its eyes, and get out of there as fast as you can. If you find yourself on the
ground, grab it by the nose ring and hang on for all you’re worth until you can crawl to
the fence. If you’re trying to get a bull, or cattle, away from an injured person, make
lots of noise, use your waddy and try not to put yourself in harm’s way. And shout
for help.
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ACC5291 September 2012 ISBN:978-0-478-31470-0
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