The Do’s And Don’ts Of Handling Cattle

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Handling Cattle

Following these guidelines by the Health And Safety Authority, you can make your farm a safer place when dealing with cattle:

DO’S

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• Make sure handlers are competent and agile.
• Work out an escape route or refuge in advance of working with cattle.
• Know and understand the basics of cattle behaviour.
• Maximise the use of Artificial Insemination to minimise the number of bulls required. Use bulls that produce docile offspring.
• Be careful around cows with new born calves, they are more likely to attack.
• Remember that cows that are ‘on-heat’ are unpredictable.
• Try to keep cattle calm when handling them.
• Use a stick to assist in directing cattle.
• Disbud calves early to prevent horn growth.
• Watch for warning signs of animal aggressiveness, especially bulls and newly calved cows.
• Cull fractious and difficult cattle as soon as possible.
• Exercise caution administering veterinary treatments.

Read also: step by step guide on how to start a cattle business

• Protect yourself against biohazards with proper personal hygiene.
• Wear suitable protective clothing and footwear.
• Use well designed facilities.
• Regularly check and maintain facilities such as the crush, gate latches and fences.
• Keep ground surfaces clean, as far as possible.

DON’Ts

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• Put an inexperienced handler or a child at risk with cattle.
• Handle cattle or get others to handle them if there is a lack of competence and confidence to do the work safely.

Read also: 10 things to consider when raising cattle for profit

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• Turn your back on a bull or trust a bull, no matter how docile he may appear.
• Stress or arouse cattle unnecessarily.
• Turn your back on a cow following calving.
• Keep dangerous cattle.
• Suddenly enter the animal’s ‘Blind Spot’.
• Rush into the animal’s ‘Flight Zone’.
• Beat or shout at cattle unnecessarily – they remember bad experiences.
• Move cattle on a public road at night.

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