Students (all seniors) enrolled in AGRI 610 Beef Cattle Production and Management this past spring semester were asked to choose a topic about beef production and write a short article to share with the public about that topic. The topics could cover anything from a description of their own ranch operations to a specific aspect of beef, such as its nutritional value. These articles are also being shared with each student’s local hometown newspaper.
By Hylie Dibbern
Any cattlemen or women who have been in the business long enough have gone through what we call problem cattle. These cattle are the thorns in your side. They have temper issues, don’t seem to have a brain and can make even the gentlest of souls become an articulate sailor. As farmers and ranchers, we get to know the cattle, which ones we need to never turn our backs to, and which ones to take it slow with because you or something will spook her and she’ll be halfway to the other end or will crash through the fence without hesitation.
Cattle behavior is how cattle think and how that thought relates to their behavior. Cattle are prey animals. Their minds and body were designed to watch for danger and keep themselves safe. One way cattle keep themselves safe is by being in a group. They are herd animals and they will always go to where other cattle are. If you were to put feed in one stall and a cow in the other stall, the cow will most of the time choose the stall with the cow in it. Cattle will also go where there is light. If you have an alley with a light at the end and a tunnel with no light they will choose the light because light is associated with safety.
Much like horses, cattle read your body language. If you stop by a fence and walk quietly with a slower pace, they won’t perceive it as much of a threat and will walk up to you out of curiosity, but if you run up shouting to the pen the cattle will run away.
Another component to consider is cattle handling. It is just like it sounds, how you handle and work with and around the cattle. We can easily fall into bad habits when working with cattle or any animal for that matter. An aggressive approach is usually not recommended. An example of being too aggressive with cattle is using physical force when it is not necessary or yelling and running at them to get them to move. Cattle will not respond well to that and will more likely run in a direction you didn’t want them to go.
Cattlemen all have different styles. Small operations, where they have two or three helpers with more cattle than help, are forced to operate a different way. A different approach will be needed in a bigger operation where they have plenty of labor and can handle all the cattle they have. However, it does not take a lot of people, it only takes just a few people even with larger operations if the cattle are handled properly.
So why do we need to know about cattle behavior and handling? In order to have a smoothly run and safe operation, every person who owns cattle should understand how cattle think in order to avoid danger and stress. It won’t come as much of shock to the handler if they can anticipate what a cow might do when cornered or being rounded up.
Another consideration is that our industry is under constant scrutiny from certain organizations that would shut us down and not only from those organizations but from people who have never been around cattle. Practicing good handling is good for everyone, including non-agriculturalists. It reduces stress on both humans and cattle.
Studies have also shown a correlation between the way we handle cattle and their health. Handled the right way, in a low-stress environment with calm and patient workers, cattle will gain weight better, have less chance of injury to themselves and their handlers and will make things easier and faster when working them.
Good cattle handling can improve your operation, your health, and sanity. When cattle are calmer and worked regularly with a calm and quiet demeanor, they learn that this is not a danger to them and that you are not a threat and they will go where you want more easily. The cattle themselves will also be quieter and calmer. The calmer you can work your cattle, the more time you will save because it makes everything go more smoothly. However, that isn’t a pass to run your cattle as fast as you can. You need to work at a pace that is safe and done properly with no mistakes.
Having proper facilities is a good investment. Not all cattlemen can afford the absolute best, but you need sturdy, well-built panels that cattle can fit into easily without being squished, and nothing in or on the panels, like protruding screws, etc., that can hurt the cattle. There is debate as to which facility design prior to the chute is best, but I leave that up to each individual and what his or her set up looks like.
Hylie Dibbern, a 2013 Heartland Lutheran High School graduate, is a senior majoring in animal science at Fort Hays State University. She is the daughter of Randy and Gloria Dibbern, Cairo, Neb.