A lot of farmers will be finishing 22-month steers in the coming months rather than housing the animals for a second winter, and creating a calm environment for them is crucial in this period.
The environment and the stress animals are exposed to can make a big difference on their health and performance, so keeping your finishing cattle calm is something farmers must focus on this season.
Studies have shown that cattle under stress do not just display welfare concerns, but that their immune system is also affected, leaving cattle more susceptible to diseases.
A calm environment can be created by keeping animals in quiet conditions, carrying out consistent handling, and creating a structured 24-hour rest period before any intervention.
After transporting animals, many farmers will be conscious of the need to get them vaccinated, but giving the animals a calming period by initially isolating them for approximately 24 hours will be extremely helpful.
After this, farmers should group animals in small, stable groups to reduce stress by eliminating hierarchies and bullying.
Farmers should also create a planned and structured vaccination programme that can be carried out in a calming manner.
It is also important to ensure adequate water and feed are readily available for all animals too.
A calm environment has the potential to create a drop in antibiotic use, improve weight gain, enhance feed efficiency, and lower mortality rates.
Stress-free handling
Cattle are typically calm animals that fall into a routine. However, sometimes the routine needs to be disrupted, for example, when administering wormers at this time of the year.
When bringing animals back into the yard for something like this, they can easily become confused, which leads to stress.
A lot of farmers find it useful to let their cattle up through the yard freely for concentrates in the days leading up to handling to get them into the habit of walking up calmly.
This often stops cattle gathering or stressing when going towards the crush for their vaccines/wormers – it is said that one way to a cattle’s heart is their stomach.
Farmers should make sure everything like gates and fences are set up in an easy flow system before bringing the cattle into the yard.
A good tip is to try to give the cattle no other option but to go the way you want them to go.
As most cattle love to walk alongside fences, this can be used as a way to direct them towards the crush or holding pens in a low stress manner.
When walking cattle down by a fence, it is advisable to not walk directly behind them, instead stay at a 45 degree angle to their body as not to spook them.
When trying to maintain a stress-free environment for the animals, you will have to work off the cattle’s time rather than your own, as rushing will only create a stressful situation.
By allowing the cattle to move slowly on their own time, they will be smelling and checking things out which will put them at ease.
It is also important to take note of cattle’s flight zone, the area of space an animal likes to keep free around their body for their safety.
This will vary for every animal, but getting too close within this zone can upset cattle and cause them to act in an unpredictable way.
Farmers should remember that cattle are quiet animals by nature that do not intend to make your life difficult.
By staying calm and removing any ill practices such as shouting, hitting, and running, you can maintain a stress-free environment for the animals – which will make your life easier too.
