Safer cattle yard design is gaining greater awareness in farming communities. The unfortunate truth is there are hundreds of accidents in cattle yards every year, many causing serious injuries to cattle handlers. Cattle are large, powerful animals, so they need to be contained and handled with care to reduce stress during weighing, drafting and other tasks. Let’s examine the essentials of safer cattle yard design.
Reducing animal stress
Cattle remember their experiences in cattle yards. If their experiences have been stressful, they are more likely to be restless, difficult to handle or aggressive. The opposite is true if their experience of handling has been gentle. Cattle will be quieter, calmer and easier to handle.
Safety for workers
Health and safety in the workplace has become more rigorous, placing greater responsibility on business owners to ensure workers have safe working conditions and issuing harsh penalties for non-compliance. More importantly, injuries are simply bad for business, reducing productivity and profitability.
Site selection
The ideal location for safer cattle yards is level ground with good drainage. This promotes efficient movement through the yard for cattle. As cattle don’t perceive the ground level well while they have their heads raised, uneven ground can cause them to become hesitant and unwilling to move through the yard. Dry ground promotes better footing and a cleaner environment for workers and cattle.
Build with steel
Cattle yards have traditionally been made from timber, but farmers are coming to appreciate the benefits of building with steel. Steel outlasts and outperforms timber in every aspect of the yard. Steel yards are also modular, meaning you can modify them easily or relocate the yard to another location. It’s important to choose well-made, quality steel components. Cattle are sensitive to banging noises, and a loose panel can trigger agitated behaviour.
Design and planning
It’s essential to choose a cattle yard design that will accommodate the size of your herd. Cattle become agitated when they’re overcrowded, so your yard should be large enough to manage the numbers passing through it. Overcrowding also leads to inefficiencies, slowing the operation and taking more time to get the job done.
Consider flow
Circular and curved designs are the best for cattle flow, especially in the race. We tend to think straight lines work better for flow, but this isn’t the case with cattle. A straight race will slow or halt flow, whereas a curved design suits cattle’s natural behaviour.
Safety zones
Your yard should have an area exclusively for workers where the cattle can’t enter. Without one, you increase the risk of injuries. Having a safe zone also gives you the space and breathing room to make better on-site decisions.
Consider space for workers and cattle
Both workers and cattle need space to move about freely. Workers need enough space on walkways to allow two or more people at a time to handle cattle efficiently. Wide gates assist with good cattle flow and help to control cattle movement through the yard.
A well-designed yard is an investment
No matter your herd size, a well-designed yard made from quality components promotes good animal welfare and safety for workers. The up-front cost pays for itself with more efficient and reliable animal handling and better productivity.
View the Farmquip range of components for cattle yards.