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Animal Safety
Below are a few suggestions on how cattle safety can be improved in a handling system. Many of these ideas will also contribute to improving handling efficiency and improving the calmness of the animals.
- Where possible, sharply-angled corners should be eliminated by using round posts and other sharp corners should be padded with rubber - screw heads should be countersunk
- When open, gates should lie flat against a wall such that cattle are not struck by the latch when moving into another pen
- Ensure that gates open through a full 180ยบ; this will prevent bruising and encourage cattle movement
- The location of hinge pintles on square section posts should not prevent the full opening of the gate
- Gaps between the floor and the base of walls or gates should be sufficient to allow drainage (around 8cm), but not large enough to allow an animal's leg to become trapped
- Slips caused by worn or poorly drained floor surfaces appear to be the principal cause of bruising at UK slaughterhouses and are likely to be a significant cause of bruising on-farm also. Particular attention should be paid to floor surfaces at bends, on slopes and on the ramp leading up to the crush
- Worn crush floors with projecting nail ends can be a cause of hoof injuries and prevent the animal from standing still, which can be a cause of both cattle and human injuries
- Bruising resulting from being struck with a stick has been found on 5.6% of beef carcasses in a British survey (Weeks et al., 2002), and the incidence of more minor scratches may be between 70 and 90% (F.A.I.R., 1999). Excessive use of sticks should be avoided and is often counterproductive, making cattle more hesitant and difficult to handle