Safe Livestock Transport

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PHOTO: JON REIS/PHOTOLINK
Knowing the behavior of your cattle will guard the safety of both animal and handler.

An inevitable aspect of raising livestock is the pattern of relocating them from the farm to a market, to a fair, or to another farm and back again. The two critical considerations in safe livestock transport are the safety of the handler/owner and the safety of the animals. Knowledge of animal behavior and of how animals respond to humans will reduce stress and ensure the safety of both handler and animals.

Safe Livestock Transport: Cattle

A brief review of the basics of livestock behavior will help handlers better work with their animals and better understand the impulses behind their actions. Cattle possess a wide panoramic visual field — up to 340° in some breeds — and have the ability to see color.

Cattle display body language, and a working knowledge of these subtle signals is important. Healthy calves and cattle give a luxurious stretch upon rising from a laying down position and then relax to a normal posture. Increased standing or frequent shifting of weight between feet is a sign of discomfort or discontent.

The most reliable clue to a cow’s condition is to observe its tail. The tail will hang loosely straight down when the cow is grazing, walking calmly, or relaxed but will be clamped down between the legs when cold, frightened, or sick. When the tail is held away from the body the cow feels threatened or is investigating. A galloping cow will hold her tail straight out from her body; when there is a kink in the tail, she is in a playful mood.

  • Published on Apr 1, 1998
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