novatech":1u6cqdxo said:I agree with the article with one exception. I cannot understand how one could give a score to cattle unless they gave a score to the handlers at the same time. I can work my cattle by myself, safely and in a timely manner. If I take them to the vet I get them back crazy as ----, ready to fight. It only takes one bad handler to ruin what would otherwise be a genetically docile animal.
What do you reckon their EV(exit velocity) would be??? :lol: :lol:hillsdown":250j9evg said:so they must remember him from the last time he was here when they got a hand up their butt and a couple needles..
I cannot understand how one could give a score to cattle unless they gave a score to the handlers at the same time. I can work my cattle by myself, safely and in a timely manner.
TexasBred":1pzuw2pi said:As in most things, part is hereditary and part is environmental.
Cattle Psychology
There are several factors to consider when planning a cattle handling facility. One of the most important and most overlooked is the psychology of the animal. We need to examine the way cattle perceive the world. We need to consider what frightens then and why.
SIGHT: Cattle have basically black and white vision. They have little ability to perceive depth and thus have a difficult time judging distances. They do, however, have an almost unlimited peripheral vision. Thus, they will often balk during handling if they see a moving object with their wide angle of vision. Light and dark zones, because of this black and white world, should be kept to a minimum. Loading ramps, working chutes, or crowding pens should have solid side fences to prevent animals from spooking at people, care, and other moving objects outside the facilities. This will also eliminate light and dark zebra patterns from sunlight passing through open type fencing.
FLIGHT DISTANCE: Just like people, cattle have a critical distance that they attempt to maintain between themselves and others, When you or another animal penetrates this flight zone, the animal will move away. When you move away, the animal will stop. The distance may very from 200 to 300 feet with wild range cattle to almost nothing with tame dairy cows. When attempting to move cattle you should stay on the edge of this zone, moving inside when you want the cattle to move. Because of this flight zone and vision characteristics, cattle tend to circle around the handler. Thus cattle generally move easier in a curved chute, A curved chute also has the advantage of hiding the squeeze or loading chute until the animal is partially up the chute, The animal just sees the rear of the animal ahead until it is to late to attempt to flee.
SOUND: Cattle have very good hearing, Loud and clang metal sounds scare them very easily, High frequency sounds such as the cracking of a whip actually hurts their ears, Thus, when moving cattle, gates and doors should be well lubricated and move silently
TexasBred":15tsk4x6 said:Here you go HD..we can all go study "Cattle Psychology". ;-)
Cattle Psychology
There are several factors to consider when planning a cattle handling facility. One of the most important and most overlooked is the psychology of the animal. We need to examine the way cattle perceive the world. We need to consider what frightens then and why.
SIGHT: Cattle have basically black and white vision. They have little ability to perceive depth and thus have a difficult time judging distances. They do, however, have an almost unlimited peripheral vision. Thus, they will often balk during handling if they see a moving object with their wide angle of vision. Light and dark zones, because of this black and white world, should be kept to a minimum. Loading ramps, working chutes, or crowding pens should have solid side fences to prevent animals from spooking at people, care, and other moving objects outside the facilities. This will also eliminate light and dark zebra patterns from sunlight passing through open type fencing.
FLIGHT DISTANCE: Just like people, cattle have a critical distance that they attempt to maintain between themselves and others, When you or another animal penetrates this flight zone, the animal will move away. When you move away, the animal will stop. The distance may very from 200 to 300 feet with wild range cattle to almost nothing with tame dairy cows. When attempting to move cattle you should stay on the edge of this zone, moving inside when you want the cattle to move. Because of this flight zone and vision characteristics, cattle tend to circle around the handler. Thus cattle generally move easier in a curved chute, A curved chute also has the advantage of hiding the squeeze or loading chute until the animal is partially up the chute, The animal just sees the rear of the animal ahead until it is to late to attempt to flee.
SOUND: Cattle have very good hearing, Loud and clang metal sounds scare them very easily, High frequency sounds such as the cracking of a whip actually hurts their ears, Thus, when moving cattle, gates and doors should be well lubricated and move silently
farmwriter":1pp0m291 said:I can't see it that cut and dry. We have one cow that will lick my hand and what not out in the pasture, but EVERY time we work the cows, she jumps out before she gets to the chute. Makes me furious because she's really gentle when she's not in the alley. But now she's jumped out so many times (always at the same place, except when we parked the tractor with the bucket raised in that spot - then she jumped out just to the side of her spot) I think she thinks it's what she's supposed to do. All the other cows go through just fine, even though some of them are much more stand-off-ish than she is. How do you score that?
I'd like to sell her, but Daddy... :roll: Truth be told, I don't know how the heck we'd get her on the trailer. I pray she doesn't hurt herself!
We kept her heifer from this past year, so I guess I'll have my own little nature/nurture experiment.
Willow Springs":1ssm1ezx said:I cannot understand how one could give a score to cattle unless they gave a score to the handlers at the same time. I can work my cattle by myself, safely and in a timely manner.
I totally agree on one hand, I have seen how poor handlers can turn it into a gong show. However, I have been in a number of herds that get very excited when another person enters the picture. The owner invariably says "that's funny I can walk right up to them and scratch them when I'm alone."
Do these cattle actually have a good temperament, or are they simply used to the person that is most often around them? I would argue that the cattle have poor temperaments that are masked by the familiarity of the owner. I have also been in herds that don't even notice strangers in the herd; those herds are actually quiet.
Most people consider our cattle to be calm. If someone goes out among them without me with them the get up and keep an eye on them. If I'm along they just lay around. Gets akward when someone wants to take look at something to by and I have to go over and poke and prod them with my foot to get them to stand up then I have to keep messing with them so they'll keep moving.novatech":3msfe68t said:When I was a kid I worked cattle along the gulf coast. Many had not seen a human for a year. I don't seem to recall any that were not flighty. That goes for all breeds not just the ones with ear.
Cattle need to be associated with people to become docile. I do not believe in this mask theory as described. Any animal that has only been associated with only one person would have a natural distrust for others. Those animals that are associated with more people while growing up are naturally going to be more docile around strangers.
There are those individuals that are genetically hyperactive/flighty. Although, through halter breaking and/or other means of gentling, they can be broke but the genetics are still there. I guess you could say that those individuals have been masked. This type of masking is done most often with bulls. It can result in entire herds having the bad genetics. It is an important trait to recognise when choosing for bull prospects or heifer replacements.
novatech":3drmuq9h said:When I was a kid I worked cattle along the gulf coast. Many had not seen a human for a year. I don't seem to recall any that were not flighty. That goes for all breeds not just the ones with ear.
Cattle need to be associated with people to become docile. I do not believe in this mask theory as described. Any animal that has only been associated with only one person would have a natural distrust for others. Those animals that are associated with more people while growing up are naturally going to be more docile around strangers.
There are those individuals that are genetically hyperactive/flighty. Although, through halter breaking and/or other means of gentling, they can be broke but the genetics are still there. I guess you could say that those individuals have been masked. This type of masking is done most often with bulls. It can result in entire herds having the bad genetics. It is an important trait to recognise when choosing for bull prospects or heifer replacements.