want and respond to it, not just react out of instinct. And please remember, it is al-
ways best that you take responsibil- ity for what happens in a handling situation. Cattle fundamentally re- spond to the energy and body lan- guage that you are using in a way that seems best to them for their safety and survival. As for the use of sticks or pad-
dles, there are pros and cons on both sides of this issue. I do not advise using them when you are trying to learn correct body lan- guage but later, as an extension of your arm, they can often be helpful once you know what you are doing. Remember, in low-stress stockman- ship sticks are used to communicate “prey-like pressure” and not to force an animal to do something. Finally, there are several high- ly dangerous situations that you
should keep in mind when you are in the pens. Working with isolated, cornered, or injured cattle can be extremely dangerous. Cattle while being fed can become very pushy if they haven’t been trained to respect your personal space. A mother cow can be highly aggressive in protect- ing her newborn calf. Also, cattle are unusually dangerous while ranking each other and bulls can become highly possessive when focused on mating. In short, any- time cattle are angry or excited, it is best to give them time to calm down before trying to accomplish any work.
Work pens During the 19th century, most
cattle work was done from horse- back with the help of lariats. Barbed wire came in during the late 19th century, and the simple head gate
TULIA FEEDLOT INC.
CUSTOM CATTLE FEEDING 7405 FM 928 Tulia, Texas 79088
Phone: 806-668-4731
If you want to discuss
the particulars of feeding your cattle, call
Tulia Feedlot, Inc.
Manager: John Van Pelt
Asst. Manager: Grady Van Pelt
Artwork by Dino Cornay 74 The Cattleman September 2013
came into use during the early 20th century. Since then, we have developed
a multitude of well thought out designs and high tech tools such as curved and covered panels and hydraulically controlled squeeze chutes. The work pens usually con- sist of sorting pens, an alley runway to the holding or sweep area that leads up to a narrow chute and a head gate or squeeze chute. These pen designs are supported
by a half a century of research and growing public concern for the well- being of all animals, which, as it turns out here, is also in the eco- nomic interest of cattle producers. As the issue of psychological
stress on cattle has become a ma- jor focus of good herdsmanship, a critical eye has been cast on the role facilities play in keeping cattle calm during handling. A shift has
High Yielding Napier Grass for Cattle Feed USDA Napier Grass (Elephant Grass) clones (cv Merkeron) for animal feed available. Perennial crops signifi cantly reduce the feeding cost. Up to 16t dry matter of feed per acre for green chop or silage using conventional equip- ment. Direct drilled product, small capsules, no on-farm stem propagation or manual labor. Half acre test packs available up to full commercial supply. Call 519-326-7293
Email
sales@newenergyfarms.com Further details at
www.newenergyfarms.com
thecattlemanmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124