Animal Health & Welfare

Recommendations are given below on how safety for both the handler and cattle can be improved in each component of a permanent handling system. A diagram showing how the different components can be orientated to encourage calm and efficient movement can be found on the right using the link to the 'Permanent Handling Systems Diagram'.

Additional information and suggested dimensions can be found in the two technical notes and the 'Handling beef cattle' pdf file to the right.  For farm-specific advice, please contact your local advisory office. 

 

Collecting & Dispersal Pens

Requirements

1. Protect handler from crushing.
2. Encourage movement through exit and prevent animals from turning.

Key Features

• Narrow pens discourage cattle from escaping past the handler
• The floor area of the pen should not be excessively large
• Where possible pens should not be sited perpendicular to the exit lane as this may appear as a dead end
• Where a sharp angle is unavoidable between the pen and exit lane, use an exit gate which is longer than the width of the exit lane, thereby creating a rough curve when the gate is opened 
• Consider including safety posts or foot steps at the base of the walls to facilitate the escape of the handler 

 

Forcing Pen

Requirements

1. Protect handler from crushing
2. Encourage movement towards the race entrance and prevent animals from turning

Key Features

• The forcing pen gate should be operable without the need for the handler to stand directly behind it or inside the forcing pen
• The forcing gate should be fitted with self-locking back-stops to prevent accidental opening
• A solid forcing gate will prevent cattle from attempting to escape and the gap between the gate and the ground should not be enough to allow calves to trap their limbs or head
• The angle into the race entrance should be shallow to encourage cattle to enter
• A circular design will prevent animals from collecting in a corner
• High, solid sides minimise visual disturbance
• Avoid holding one animal in the forcing pen when others have entered the race as the isolated animal may become agitated

 

Race

Requirements

1. Protect handler from crushing and falling
2. Prevent animal from turning
3. Encourage cattle movement

Key Features

• As calves have a tendency to turn around in adult races, a calf race should be constructed alongside the existing race or inserts may be hung over one side of the adult race to reduce the width when handling calves
• A curved design with solid sides and a non-slip floor encourages animal movement, whilst a simple, low cost overhead restrainer may prevent cattle from rearing up
• Gates should be incorporated into the race to provide access to the rear of the crush and a solid sliding gate should be used to close off the end of the race to protect the handler from injury by waiting animals
• A raised catwalk allows animals to be driven without entering the race
• The race should be the correct width (4cm wider than the largest animal) and height (not less than 1.52m and substantially more for continental breeds)

 

Crush

Requirements

1. Encourages animals to enter
2. Restrains animal securely and without injury
3. Prevents slipping
4. Allows safe access to the animal's body
5. Allows controlled release of the animal

Key Features

• No obstructions should be placed within 6m of the crush exit or the animal may perceive it as a dead end
• Handlers should not stand in front of the crush when cattle are being driven into it
• Cattle should be driven in a calm manner as injuries can occur when the head yoke is struck hard
• Consider covering the sides of the crush to reduce the view of bystanders, as long as access is not impeded
• Choose the correct head yoke design for the flightiness of the cattle handled and the tasks most frequently performed
• The head yoke should be adjustable
• Neck stanchions should be of wide diameter to prevent bruising
• When handling young stock, consider using a purpose-made insert to narrow the crush
• Winches and foot blocks should be in the correct position for the cattle handled
• Levers should be short, unlikely to be accidentally released and well maintained
• Use non-slip comfortable flooring which is replaced when worn. Narrow transverse slats nailed to the floor should be avoided. These and worn floors prevent the animal from standing still and make it more likely to fall 
• The crush sides should allow full access to the animal and have a minimum number of supports against which the handler's arm may be trapped
• The crush should not be too long for the size of the cattle as handlers operating at the rear of the animal will have to climb into the crush
• Manually operated neck yokes should always be released before the head gates are opened

 

Sorting Gates

Requirements

1. Protect handler from crushing
2. Encourage animals to move in the desired direction

Key Features

• The sorting gates should be fitted with a handle and not require the operator to stand immediately in front of the animal during operation, as this will discourage exit 
• Sorting gates should be long to eliminate sharp changes in direction which can be perceived as a dead end
• Gates positioned immediately after a crush should have sufficient room to swing past the animal's head

 

Loading Ramp

Requirements

1. Prevent cattle from slipping or being injured
2. Encourage cattle movement

Key Features

• The angle of the ramp should not exceed 20º and the aim should be to construct a ramp of 15º or less
• Where a vehicle tailgate is lowered directly onto the ground, constructing a low ramp, even of only 40cm height, will reduce the overall slope angle considerably
• Steps are preferable to cattle than cleats
• The ramp should terminate in a 1.5m long horizontal docking area to allow the animals to safely enter/exit the vehicle
• Adjustable gates and a simple self-aligning buffer will eliminate the gap between the vehicle and the ramp
• Ideally, the ramp should not be constructed wider than the vehicles that will use it. Where some width flexibility is required, gates used to narrow the ramp and which create a 90º angle to the direction of cattle movement should not be used
• Ramps should not echo or move when walked on, should have high solid sides and ideally be curved