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Tips for Loading, Unloading Cattle

Facility design and cattle handling set the stage for how well cattle travel.

According to Texas A&M University Extension Livestock Specialist Ron Gill, designing and building loading facilities for cattle doesn’t have to be complicated, but you need to understand animal behavior.

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“If we sort and load cattle quietly, they typically are more quiet and calm on the truck,” stated Ron Gill, Texas A&M University Extension livestock specialist.


In a presentation before the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare (ISBCW) hosted June 8-10 in Manhattan, Kan., Gill said the design can be simple. He offered the “Bud Box” as an example, noting the loading or processing facility design favored by the late animal-handling guru Bud Williams takes advantage of the natural inclination of cattle to return to the gate through which they entered the facility.

Gill offered the audience food for thought applicable to laying out loading facilities favorable for staging of cattle, sorting and maintaining flow to a loading area. He recommended that facilities be designed so cattle can be sorted quietly into loading groups, and handled so they flow easily to a chute.

Regarding the question of whether solid or open-sided alleys are preferable, Gill said both can work. Open sides are fine, depending on where personnel are situated during handling. If the objective is to block animals’ view of potential distractions, the solid portion of the sides should be high enough that cattle cannot see over them.

Discussing loading chutes, Gill said the ramp should not be overly steep. He recommends the long, moderate grade offered by a ramp length of 16 feet (ft.) to 20. He advised use of non-slip flooring, preferably with cleats. Bumpers should be situated where the trailer backs up to the chute to prevent gaps that an animal’s leg could slip through, causing injury.

Noting that many cattle are transported by stock trailer, Gill reminded the audience that many modern trailers are designed such that the clearance between ground level and trailer floor is greater than in the past. He recommended that loading facilities be designed to minimize the step-up distance.

Gill said how cattle are handled has much to do with how cattle load and behave during transport.

“If we sort and load cattle quietly, they typically are more quiet and calm on the truck,” stated Gill. “We don’t want to unload cattle too fast either. Cattle exiting rapidly can ‘draw’ those behind them to follow too quickly and increase chances of injury.”

Watch for additional coverage of the 2016 ISBCW on www.angus.media and in the Angus Journal and Angus Beef Bulletin. Comprehensive meeting coverage will be archived at www.api-virtuallibrary.com/meetings_other_news.html.

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Editor’s Note: Troy Smith is a freelance writer and cattleman from Sargent, Neb.



 




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