Things You Need to Know About Cattle and Cattle Yards

What is Cattle?

Cattle — colloquially cows — are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos taurus.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle

Behavioural Characteristics of Cattle

• Cattle remain immobile when first threatened. Their first reaction is to stand and assess the situation. If frightened, their natural instinct is to escape.
• Cattle try to maintain other animals within their vision. They have a field of view of 330° and have the ability to see threats from almost all directions.
• Social order in the mob is usually established at about 2 years of age and maintained by threats and butting. When mobs are mixed, social order has to be re-established so aggression occurs until a new order is established. This may hinder movement of stock.
• Within a mob of cattle, there is an order of dominance. This can be seen in action at the water or feed trough where certain animals are always first to drink or eat. Other animals tend to stand back until the dominant animals have finished. Dominance may also be seen when cattle are on the move. The same animals will usually lead the mob. They will also be the first to enter gateways. Dominance and the need to maintain hierarchy in a group of cattle becomes a problem when the animals are in confined spaces such as holding yards. This can be a cause of significant stress within a mob. Crowding of cattle will also increase aggression as the animals try to maintain personal space.

Source: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/beef-cattle/husbandry/general-management/handling-cattle

What is Cattle Yard?

A barnyard used by cattle. Also known as stockyard.

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cattle%20yard

Image Source: http://www.atlex.com.au/cattleyards/cattleyard-on-property-design/

What is Stockyard?

Stockyard is one in which transient cattle, sheep, swine, or horses are kept temporarily for slaughter, market, or shipping

Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stockyard

Cattle Handling Facility 10–50

There are presently a lot of cattle yard designs based on a circular forcing yard. This is a proven layout that has good workability, and flow of cattle.

The circular design described and illustrated in this Agriculture Note is a “cattle-handling facility”, that when coupled with suitable sized holding and receiving yards, adequately controls between 10 and 50 head.

The owner/manager of a cattle herd has an obligation to ensure their stock are in good health, and treated as safely and humanely as possible.

A good set of yards positively encourages sound management and herd health programs because of the ease of handling cattle. Where facilities are difficult to work, or in a poor state of repair, or do not exist, essential management practices are often not undertaken. The end result is often a lower price in the market place.

Source: http://agriculture.vic.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/beef/handling-and-management/cattle-handling-facility-10-50

Recommended cattle yard features

Some of the recommended features of a cattle yard include:

• Holding yard — avoid corners so that the only place cattle will bunch is in the directions they need to move, such as towards forcing yards
• Forcing yard — a half circle yard with gates that swing 300 degrees allow operators to push cattle up the race from behind the gate and at arms’ length.
• The race — a curved race encourages cattle to move freely from one point to another but there are other race designs available. The ideal height is 1.5m and the recommended width between opposite posts is 675–700mm (plus the thickness of the rails).
• Loading ramp — ideally ramps should be 750mm wide between the rails. A ramp length of at least 3.5–4.6m will give the required rise to reach the ideal 1.2m loading height. A level section at least 0.8–1m long at the top of the ramp will encourage stock movement onto and off trucks.
• Ramp floors need to be non-slip and not cause a hollow noise. These can be stepped in concrete — allow a 450mm step length for every 100mm rise. Steel floors should not move or buckle under weight. Animals should not be able to see the ground below.

Source: https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/small-landholders-western-australia/constructing-cattle-yards-small-landholders?page=0%2C2

Remember that when you work cattle in an open pen or pasture paddock, their blind spot is directly behind. They won’t respond to your commands or arm signals from there. Work to the side, about 30° to 35° off of straight behind. This is a point of balance from where cattle are more likely to respond to your signals.

Source: http://fav.me/dcg52ig