T
he US-published, but
internationally read,
Stockmanship Journal
defines stockmanship as “the
knowledgeable and skilful
handling of livestock in a safe,
efficient, effective and low-stress
manner”. However, and based
on many informal surveys that
Dr Johan Cloete has conducted
of livestock owners and handlers
over the years, in South Africa the
use of stress-inducing methods
such as whips, sticks, electric
prodders, whistling, clapping,
yelling and manhandling to
move cattle is common.
Cloete, a ruminants technical
veterinarian with MSD Animal
Health, says these actions are
generally not due to deliberate
malice towards the cattle, but
mostly as a result of unintentional
ignorance by livestock owners
and cattle handlers.
Unfortunately, this ignorance
can, and does, lead to not only
cases of unnecessarily stressed
cattle and resultant ill-health,
lowered productivity and poorer
quality beef or milk products,
but also to damage to farm
infrastructure and sometimes
serious and potentially fatal
injuries to cattle and people.
“The principles of handling
both beef and dairy cattle are the
same. When we work with cattle,
we must create connections with
the animals,” Cloete explains.
“Another important reason for
handling cattle using low-stress
methods is to meet the increasing
demand by consumers for
improved animal welfare. An
incident of animal abuse that is
caught on camera and is easily
shared on social media can do
tremendous reputational damage
to the beef and dairy industries.”
PREY ANIMALS
A key aspect to understanding
cattle behaviour is to be aware
that they evolved as prey animals.
A self-defence mechanism that
cattle developed as a result of
predation is having each eye
set on either side of the head
to give a wider view angle to
OPPOSITE PAGE,
ABOVE:
Handlers must
have patience
when dealing with
cattle, according to
Dr Johan Cloete.
FW ARCHIVE
OPPOSITE PAGE,
BELOW:
Cloete explaining
that rail-sided cattle
handling chutes
give handlers
easy access to
either side of an
animal that needs
to be examined
or treated.
LLOYD PHILLIPS
RIGHT, FROM TOP:
- Handlers who
understand cattle’s
angle of vision and
their fight-or-
flight instinct can
use low-stress
‘add pressure,
release pressure’
techniques to herd
the animals.
- To get cattle to
move forward, a
handler should
walk towards
the animal
(adding pressure)
from an angle
oblique behind
the shoulder.
- By walking
towards cattle from
an angle oblique
to the front of the
animal’s shoulder,
the handler will
cause the animal
to turn in the
opposite direction
to get away from
the pressure.
ILLUSTRATIONS:
DR JOHAN CLOETE/
MSD ANIMAL HEALTH
30 AUGUST 2019 farmer’sweekly 35
CORRECT HANDLER POSITION FOR LOW-STRESS HANDLING
MOVINGFORWARD
CHANGINGDIRECTION
Handler’sposition
Ruminant horizontal
side vision range
Ruminant horizontal
side vision range
Flight zone
Flight zone
Flight zone
Pressure zone
Pressure zone
Pressure zone
Direction of desired
movement
Direction of desired
movement
