Working Cattle Without Getting Hurt: Chute and Pen Basics

Most cattle injuries do not happen to careless people. They happen to experienced, busy, tired people who took one shortcut in a crowded pen. A cow weighing a thousand pounds or more does not have to be mean to hurt you. A kick, a pin against a gate or a calf-protecting mother is all it takes. The good news is that most of those accidents are preventable with decent facilities and a few habits that become second nature.

This guide covers pen and chute basics, how cattle see and react to people, how to move them calmly and the safety rules every working crew should follow. Facilities and herds differ, so adapt these ideas to your operation and talk with experienced neighbors. If you are looking for cattle handling schools, sales and events, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area.

How Cattle See the World

Cattle are prey animals with wide-angle vision, and their behavior makes sense once you understand that. They can see a large area around them, including much of what is behind, but have a blind spot directly behind their rumps and limited depth perception. They notice sudden movement, shadows, flapping objects and contrasts in light, and they balk at things that look like they might be a trap, such as a shadow across an alley or a dangling chain.

They also remember. Cattle that are handled roughly learn to fear the pen and the people in it, and they get harder to work every time.

Flight Zone and Point of Balance

Every animal has a flight zone, the space around it that you can enter to make it move. If you enter the zone, it moves away. If you stay outside, it stays calm. The animal also has a point of balance, often near the shoulder, and which way it moves depends on which side of that point you approach from. Standing behind the point of balance tends to move the animal forward, while standing in front tends to turn or stop it.

Once you understand these concepts, you can move cattle with small steps in and out of the zone instead of yelling and waving. Animal handling researcher Temple Grandin shares facility and behavior guidance at grandin.com, and low-stress handling programs, such as those promoted by Beef Quality Assurance, teach these methods, which improve safety and animal welfare.

Good Pen Design

A safe facility reduces the need for heroics. Features that help include solid or visually barrier-free sides in alleys so cattle do not see distractions, curved working alleys that take advantage of cattle's tendency to circle, non-slip footing, a crowd pen that funnels animals into the alley and gates that open and close smoothly. Avoid sharp corners, protruding bolts, pinch points and dead ends where cattle can get trapped.

Walk through your facility looking for hazards: broken boards, loose gates, slick concrete and anywhere a person could be trapped. Fix problems before the next round of work.

Using a Squeeze Chute Safely

A squeeze chute holds cattle for vaccinations, treatments and other work, but it is also a place people get hurt. Learn how your chute works before you need it. Check that latches, headgates and squeeze sides move freely, and keep moving parts greased. Do not put your hands or arms where a closing gate can catch them. Never reach through the headgate to treat an animal that is not fully caught, and never work around an animal that is panicking without giving it a moment to settle.

Keep a plan for releasing a stuck animal quickly, and make sure everyone knows who operates the headgate and who works the animal. A calm, quiet crew keeps the cattle calmer.

Moving Cattle Calmly

• Work at a walk. Hurrying creates stress and injuries.
• Use your body position, not your voice, to direct animals.
• Do not overfill the crowd pen. Give cattle room to move.
• Let animals see an escape route and keep alleys uncluttered.
• Be patient with a balking animal and look for what is scaring it.
• Remove noisy distractions, loud radios and barking dogs that are not part of the plan.

Danger Situations

Some situations are more dangerous than others. A cow with a newborn calf is highly protective, and approaching either one can provoke an attack, so keep a gate, vehicle or other barrier between you and the cow. Bulls deserve respect at all times. Never turn your back on one, never trust a bull because he is usually calm and keep a safe exit available. Cattle that are injured, cornered or separated from the herd can also react unpredictably.

Safety Rules for Your Crew

• Never work alone around cattle if you can avoid it, and tell someone where you are.
• Wear sturdy boots with good traction and avoid loose clothing.
• Keep children and visitors out of working areas unless they have a job and a safe spot.
• Know where the exits are and keep them clear.
• Do not climb over pens you can walk around or through a gate.
• Keep first aid supplies and a phone nearby.

Horses and Dogs

Horses and trained dogs can make moving cattle easier, but only if both are well trained. A green horse or a loose dog can create chaos. If you use them, work them calmly, keep control and stop when they are overworked. Many ranchers say the quiet, steady horse is the safest tool in the pen.

Handling Records and Health Work

While you have cattle in the chute, take the chance to do what you need to do efficiently: vaccinate, record weights and treatments, check feet, eyes and body condition and make notes. Keeping a routine shortens the time cattle are stressed. Learn proper injection techniques and follow label directions for any product you use, and follow your veterinarian's advice on timing and protocols. Programs such as Beef Quality Assurance provide guidance on proper product use.

Lessons From Mistakes

If you get a close call, stop and ask what went wrong. Was a gate loose? Was there too much pressure on the animal? Were you in a hurry? Most near misses show you a fix you can make for free. Talk to your crew about it and make a change before you work cattle again.

For a lighter take on ranch life, farm.fm has a ranching section with humor pieces, including one on cattle weighed by drones that proves cattle always have opinions about how they are handled.