Cattle Psychology

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Cattle Psychologyand Handling
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You can tell what kind of a stock man a person
is by looking at the behavior of his cattle
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Understanding cattle psychology
Importance????
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Reducing Stress!!!

• Performance weight loss (shrink)
• Immune function
• Rumen function

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What is the main influence in the bottom line

Major concern Bruising
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• Understanding the animals flight zone is key to
  quiet handling
• Size of flight zone
• Temperament (previous handling)
• Breed
• Angle of approach
• Type of approach

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• Cattle have poor depth perception
• To see depth they need to stop and put their
  heads down
• Balk at shadows
• Balk at moving or flapping objects

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• Cattle have a tendency to move toward light
• Excessive light can also hinder movement
• Chutes should face either north or south to avoid
  balking from sunlight

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• More than 50 of all bruises are caused by rough,
  careless handling

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FACTS ABOUT BRUISING

• Enough meat to feed a large city is thrown into
  rendering trucks - bruised cattle
• Bruised meat not for human consumption

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FACTS ABOUT BRUISING

• 2000 Trim losses nearly 23 million
• Equates to 0.75 for every fed steer and heifer
• 1994 equivalent to 107 million ¼ pound hamburgers
  were trimmed

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FACTS ABOUT BRUISING

• 31 of all cattle bruises occur in loin (hip
  area)
• Two-thirds of all loin bruises occur during
  loading/unloading
• Each severe loin bruise results in 20 carcass
  discount
• 100 hd marketed 7 9 hd severe

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Which bruises more easily?

• Thin cows or Choice steers?
• Cattle that go through stockyards or cattle sold
  direct to the plant?
• Cattle sold by liveweight or on the rail?

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• Bruising results from blood vessel hemorrhaging
  under the hide
• Outside of animal can appear normal even when
  there is a significant injury
• Animal can still be bruised after stunning at the
  plant until the time it is bled

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Trim Losses reduce carcass yield Trim loss
14.4lbs
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Major 1 to 3 pounds
Critical - 3 pounds
Minor -
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One Bruise
Two Bruises
Four or more Bruises
Three Bruises
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Causes of Bruising

• Horns
• Dehorn cattle
• Genetics (breed polled cattle)
• Concern
• overcrowding
• Holding pens and transportation

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Causes of Bruising

• Gates
• Common cause of loin bruises
• Throwing gates behind cattle
• Tub gates
• Sagging gates

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Causes of Bruising

• Protruding objects
• Broken boards
• Nails exposed bolts
• Look for tufts of hair or shiny spots for areas
  of concern
• Use old tires or conveyor belting to provide
  padding
• 28 to 52 inches from the floor is the hazard zone

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Causes of Bruising

• Flooring
• Broken boards
• Nails exposed bolts
• Look for tufts of hair or shiny spots for areas
  of concern
• Use old tires or conveyor belting to provide
  padding
• 28 to 52 inches from the floor is the hazard zone

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Causes of Bruising

• Personnel
• Loud noises
• Electric prods
• Rattle paddles
• Inexperience
• Patience
• Unwanted assistance (pets)