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Low Stress Animal Handling Improves Both Productivity

and Animal Welfare

Temple GrandinDepartment of Animal Sciences

Colorado State University

Excitable cattle scored with different temperament measures have lower weight gains

Excitable cattle poorer reproductive performance

Many studies have replicated this result

Different Methods of Temperament Measurements

Chute Score – Works poorly if tightly held

Electronic Exit Speed

Walk Trot Canter Exit Speed (Vetters et al., 2013)

2 point exit speed scoring – walk or trot, run, jump (Kasimanickam et al., 2014)

Pen Scoring

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Cattle that become agitated in the squeeze chute have lower weight gains

Cattle that run fast out of the squeeze chute may perform poorly

Voisinet et al.,1997, Fell et al.,1999

Genetics influences temperament score

Producers have been selecting for calm temperament to produce calmer, more productive animals

Be careful to avoid reductions in foraging or mothering

Temperament test scores are also changed by experience

Survey of Cattle Handling in Squeeze Chute in 28 Large Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado Feedlots

Average Range

Electric Prod % 3.7 0 to 45

Vocalization % * 1.3 0 to 6

Exit Falling % 0.8 0 to 2

Exit Stumble % 6.7 0 to 28

Miscaught % 4.2 0 to 16

Exit Run % 30.7 2 to 75

* No branding, castration, or dehorning

R. Woiwode, 2015

Handling has improved

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Advantages of Acclimating Animals to Handling

Pigs easier to move and lower heart rate when acclimated to walking in alleys (Lewis et al., 2008; Geverlink et al., 1998)

Cattle handled quietly in the squeeze chute every day became calmer and will enter more easily each successive day

Littlefield et al., 2001

Cattle Handling Acclimation Research

Cattle handled carefully lower cortisol (Pethericket al., 2009)

Heifers acclimated by walking through chutes improved reproductive performance (Cook et al., 2009, 2012)

Training Brahman heifers to quietly walk through chutes produces calmer adults (Binstead, 1977; Fordyce, 1987)

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Transport Acclimation Research

Initial trip on a truck is more stressful than the 7th or 9th trip for

both cattle and sheep.Stockman et al., 2011 Wickham et al., 2012

Animal memories are very specific. Acclimating cattle to close contact with people by feeding range cubes does not transfer to reduced temperament scores in the squeeze chute (Cook et al., 2009)

Habituating an animal to a blue and white umbrella does not habituate an animal to other novel objects (Leiner and Fendt, 2011)

These objects are totally different pictures

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Cattle perceive a man on a horse and a man on foot as two different things

They need to be habituated to both

Acclimate Cattle to Different Vehicles and

Going through the Chute

• First experiences with new people, places, or equipment must be good

• Acclimating animals to handling reduces stress

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New things are attractive when an animal is allowed to voluntarily approach, and scary when they

are suddenly introduced

Animals That Fear People Less Productive

Fear is a proper scientific term and it is used in the neuroscience literature

Fearful sows, fewer piglets (Hemsworth, 1981)

Fearful dairy cows, lower conception rates (Hemsworth, et al., 2000)

Dairy cows that approach people, lower somatic cell counts (Fulwider et al., 2008)

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An Example of Low Flight Zone Productive Dairy Cows That

Approach People

Poor Handling Many Detrimental Effects

Beef steers forced to run – higher cortisol and lactate (Frese et al., 2015) and faster exit scores (Woiwode, 2015)

Rough handling of feedlot cattle – more bruises (Grandin, 1981)

Cattle handling facilities with many acute bends and turns lower pregnancy rates compared to straight or semi-circular designs (Kasimanickam et al., 2014)

High use of electric prods – more downer pigs, higher lactate and glucose (Benjamin et al., 2001)

LOWER WEIGHT GAINMiscatching on the animal’s face, running cattle, whistling, and yelling

Woiwode, 2015

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Cattle and pigs with agitated behavior or multiple shocks with an electric prod in the stunning chute at the slaughter plant had higher lactate, tougher meat, and more PSE

Gruber et al., 2010Warner et al., 2007Stockman et al., 2012Edwards et al., 2010

A Good Attitude Towards Animals Improves Both Productivity

and Handling Practices

Seabrook, 1984, 2000

Training stock people improved attitudes towards animals and reduced negative behaviors (Hemsworth et al., 1994)

You Manage What You Measure

Maintaining high standards requires continuous measurement

Handling quality can be maintained by regular audits of your handling practices with an objective numerical scoring system

PREVENTS BAD FROM BECOMING NORMAL

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Scoring Animal Handling

Percentage of animals that run

Percentage of animals that fall during handling

Percentage that stumble exiting squeeze

Percentages of animals that vocalize during catching in the squeeze chute

Percentage moved with electric prod

Comparison of Electric Prod Use Between Normal Fed Cattle and

Hard to Handle Steers

Percentage of Beef Plants That Stunned 95% or More Cattle with the First Shot

USDA survey prior to industry

wide auditing

McDonald’s Audits started

Continued auditing by major customers

Continuous auditing maintains good performance

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HACCP principles same as food safety

Directly observable things that are outcomes of bad practices or bad facilities

Not a paperwork audit

Three Types of Variablesfor Auditing Animal Welfare

1. Animal based outcome measure (continuous variables)

2. Prohibited practices (discreet variable)

3. Input-based engineering variables (discreet variable)

Example: Lameness is an Outcome of Many Bad Conditions

Agitated Cattle Scuff Hooves (toe abscesses)

Rapid Growth

Poor Leg Conformation

Poor Foot Care

Foot Disease

Injuries

Beta-Agonists – Hot Weather

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Poor Leg ConformationCauses Lameness and

Difficulty Walking

Correct Collapsed Poor Straight Post Poor

The pig has bad leg conformation

Beef should not repeat this mistake

Corkscrew foot – A genetic defect in cattle

Photo by L.A. Horstman, DVM, Purdue University, 2010

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Examples: Prohibited Practices

Poking sensitive areas to move animals

Dragging downer cows or bulls

Beating animals – See video “Proper Use of Livestock Driving Tools”

Example: Input Base Measures

Measures

Space Requirements for Feeders and Waterer

Space Requirements for Transport

Stunning Equipment Specifications

Calm Animals Easier to Handle

Photo by Sherry Taylor

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20 to 30 Minutes Required to Calm Down

Fearful Cattle

Heads up – Ears alert

Ears pinned back

Defecation

Tail switching

Eye white

Animals may refuse to move

into the sun

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Cattle may refuse to move when they see the white jug and the red car

Tie up loose chain ends that scare

animals

Cattle may refuse to enter a dark building

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Skylights installed in the walls will improve cattle movement into an existing dark building

Allow the Leader Time to Look at the Puddle

If cattle balk at the backstop gate,

tie it open

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In Corrals Move Small Groups into the Crowd Pen

Good Handling Requires More Walking

Fill Crowd Pen Half Full

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The Flight Zone is the Animal’s Safety Zone

Animals turn away when the handler enters the flight zone

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Solid Outer Fence Open Inner Fence

People must stay outside the flight zone unless moving animals

If an animal rears, back up and get out of its flight zone

Optimal Chute Length for Following Behavior

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Cardboard on the Back Half of Squeeze Chute Blocks Vision of a Close Person

Solid vs. Open sides

Open Sides

Must maintain people free zone around it

Requires more skill

Cattle acclimated to low stress handling

Solid Sides

Outer perimeter to block view of activity and vehicles

Wild cattle

Less skilled people

Curves reduce walking

Outer perimeter

solid sides most

important

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Animals will turn back in the same

direction they came from

Curved systems block view of

squeeze chute operator

Simple Round Crowd PenHandler Works the Pivot Point

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Work Cattle From Crowd Gate Pivot

Bud Box

Joe Stookey, 2014

Use Flags, Paddles or No Driving Aid

An Electric Prod is NEVER the Primary Driving Aid

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Curves reduce walking

Outer perimeter

solid sides most

important

Design Concepts

Simple, Economical –Requires more Stockmanship skill

More Expensive – Easier for unskilled people to use

Behavioral Principles of Restraint

Non slip flooring – Prevents fear of falling

No sudden jerky motion

Optimal pressure – not too tight, not too loose

Block vision (grazing animals)

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Dogs around the chutes stress cattle because they cannot move away. They may also teach cattle to kick

Non-Slip Flooring is Essential

Steer coming out of squeeze chute

Animals get agitated when they slip

Squeeze chutes, stocks, scales, unloading ramps

www.grandin.com