Best Temple Grandin Books for Cattle Handling and Behavior

[NECowboy]

Was looking on Grandins website and she has a number of books that have this as a chapter or two but not entire book. Any recommendations on which books you found most useful, most cattle specific information before I order one? Thanks.

 

[NECowboy]

Alright looking at Humane Livestock Handling (going to have to order online as obviously not carried by local Barnes and Noble.). Also Animals Make Us Human looks great like it has explanatory chapters on each type of farm animal - cows, horses, dogs, chickens, pigs. Check out the table of contents and chapter summaries below:

http://grandin.com/inc/animals.make.us.human.toc.html

 

[TCRanch]

I'm more of a fan of Heather Smith Thomas. Raising Beef Cattle provides more insight to handling techniques but handling is subjective, you have to figure out what works best with your herd/the temperament of your cattle/whether they're accustomed to being around people, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/Cattle-Health-Ha ... 1603420908
https://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Ra ... 1603424547
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580177069/?t ... 455iiv62_e

On a side note, if your order from Amazon quite a bit you may want to consider Amazon Smile where a portion of your purchase goes to your favorite charity (select from the drop-down box or search)

 

[Brute 23]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

A good understanding of behavioral psychology won't hurt with any animal, or people, either.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

 

[Brute 23]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

Was referring to the knowledge from an experienced cattleman. I take it your not a big reader :lol:

 

[Rafter S]

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

Was referring to the knowledge from an experienced cattleman. I take it your not a big reader :lol:

I'm a big reader. 6'1" and 240 lbs.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

Was referring to the knowledge from an experienced cattleman. I take it your not a big reader :lol:

I'm a big reader. 6'1" and 240 lbs.

That's a good one Rafter, must be the ketchup :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

You got that right. I want to see them convince some of these salty old gals "I've got this.....I've read the book".

 

[Rafter S]

Was referring to the knowledge from an experienced cattleman. I take it your not a big reader :lol:

I'm a big reader. 6'1" and 240 lbs.

That's a good one Rafter, must be the ketchup :lol2:

Nope. Horseradish.

 

[TCRanch]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

A good understanding of behavioral psychology won't hurt with any animal, or people, either.

See, I knew my degree in Psych would come in handy! (even though I ended up in Banking )

 

[Brute 23]

The phych degree is good for training them from the start so you can avoid trainwrecks. You can train cattle like hunting dogs or any thing else.

I saw a meme that had an old cowboy talking to a boy and it said some thing to the effect... "son, one day you will understand the slower you work cattle the faster it goes". That's a good one.

 

[TCRanch]

It really is. There are some very basic deals but after that every animal and situation is different.

I saw a meme that had an old cowboy talking to a boy and it said some thing to the effect... "son, one day you will understand the slower you work cattle the faster it goes". That's a good one.

I am a firm believer that cows have very distinct personalities. And the meme is spot on!

 

[Brute 23]

It really is. There are some very basic deals but after that every animal and situation is different.

I saw a meme that had an old cowboy talking to a boy and it said some thing to the effect... "son, one day you will understand the slower you work cattle the faster it goes". That's a good one.

I am a firm believer that cows have very distinct personalities. And the meme is spot on!

They absolutely do. :nod:

 

[NECowboy]

First generation cattleman, didn't have my dad or no one else to teach me. I get the experience part but don't mind seeing what someone else has to say and then applying that to my observations. Certainly doesn't qualify me to say I got this versus an experienced cattleman. Particularly interested in learning from these books where Temple Grandin has a great reputation on low stress livestock handling methods and corral design.

 

[TCRanch]

I would encourage you to visit large & small operations to really see how they work & what you believe might work for you (always an open invite here). But trial and error is the best education. And a sophisticated corral design is not necessarily the best design. Our cows are very tame & our portable corral/alley/chute is all we really need. The chute at the barn is a bonus and we literally secure a couple panels to the chute with baling wire to get them in. If you have a large herd &/or your cows are wild/skittish (pick your adjective) you would probably be better off investing in the aforementioned sophisticated (most likely more expensive) corral/facilities. The main thing to consider is YOUR safety.

 

[greybeard]

You don't the need a book on how to handle cattle... read the cattle... they will tell you.

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

I sometimes wonder if some people think the writers of these type books got their 'experience' from reading other books...as in a forward that says,"I've condensed a lifetime of reading books about cattle into this one book".
I'd avoid any that said "Everything I know about cattle and cattle handling, I learned on Youtube and it's all in this one book"
Books are ok, as a starting point or rough guide..sometimes.

 

[callmefence]

You can learn in just a few minutes reading what an experienced cattleman has taken a life time to learn. :2cents:

Its hard to learn experience out of a book.

I sometimes wonder if some people think the writers of these type books got their 'experience' from reading other books...as in a forward that says,"I've condensed a lifetime of reading books about cattle into this one book".
I'd avoid any that said "Everything I know about cattle and cattle handling, I learned on Youtube and it's all in this one book"
Books are ok, as a starting point or rough guide..sometimes.

Book , YouTube , internet forum all bout the same. Nothin wrong with searching for info. You just need to filter it carefully and apply it carefully.
It's certainly no replacement for experience.

 

[Brute 23]

I'm not against books... I just would not pay money for a book on working cattle. IMO it's like buying these books on... How flip houses, in your local area, from the comfort of your home, with other peoples money.