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Tag Archives cattle handling

It’s not just the cattle that are happier with the new handling system at Short Grass Ranches, their handlers are too. “Nobody is miserable and grumpy at the end of the day,” says Craig Lehr.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Before you can go with the flow, you need to get the flow going

A new handling system has proven to be like night and day on Short Grass Ranches

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Low stress and good flow are what all producers want when putting cattle through a handling system. Oftentimes though, cattle balk at something or just don’t flow as smoothly as they should. That’s the situation Craig Lehr found himself in, even though he had a “very well-built” one-piece, S-alley livestock-handling system with a crowding tub […] Read more
Colin Rice visited several operations before selecting mats for his feedlot near Lacombe.
Livestock, News

Cattle mats help prevent slips and injuries when processing

Mats are a simple and relatively inexpensive way to improve traction and reduce slips, says Lacombe feedlot operator

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Slips, trips, and falls in cattle can be common occurrences when putting animals through handling systems. For Lacombe-area farmer Colin Rice, preventing these occurrences when they built their feedlot was on their to-do list. Rice, who operates Rice Farms Ltd. with his cousin, decided to start a feedlot when they took over the farm three […] Read more
The website www.creatingconnections.info has a host of how-to videos on low-stress handling.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Building a little trust with bovines can produce big dividends

Low-stress handling isn’t new but it’s gaining new attention thanks to a (gentle) push from a major animal health company

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Does the thought of working cattle bring to mind shouting, pushing unwilling cattle in directions they don’t want to go, and excessive prodding? It doesn’t have to be that way. The late Bud Williams started training producers and feedlot workers in low-stress handling methods three decades ago and today that work is carried on by […] Read more
Five tips for easier cattle processing
Livestock

Five tips for easier cattle processing

As part of his appearance at the Western Canada Feedlot Management School, Curt Pate gave a processing demonstration at Ceylon Gap Feeders in Ceylon, Sask. Here are some of his tips for effectively creating flow through a processing system.
Preparation and being mindful of the basics can make all the 
difference when running cattle through your handling system, 
says Peggy Johnson. 
Beef Cattle, Livestock

A little basic planning can go a long way

All sorts of issues can crop up when handling cattle, but preparation makes the day go a lot smoother

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Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to working cattle there’s more to just ‘running them through the chute.’ Being prepared for the day can also make things go smoother for both the operators and the cattle. Focusing on “just the basic repairs and maintenance” can make all the difference, said Peggy Johnson, a former rancher and 2W Livestock[...]
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Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz showed how to move cattle without the use of force or props during a session at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference.
Livestock

Keep calm — and stay on the left — when working cattle

Nebraska veterinarian says the top priority is to demonstrate that people — a.k.a. ‘coyotes’ — are not really a threat


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Reading Time: 3 minutes Stay on the left side of cattle and treat them right. That was demonstrated by Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz during a live animal-handling session at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. “People create the interaction and the guidance,” said the Nebraska veterinarian and consultant who often works with feedlots on animal handling and facility design. What’s important[...]
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You may have the hat and the horse and the big old belt buckle — but that doesn’t mean you need to handle cattle the cowboy way, say Tina Williams and Richard McConnell.
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Proper stockmanship, the Bud Williams’ way

If you want to build trust in your cattle, apply the right kind of pressure 
on them and learn to take two steps back

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Cow whisperer’ Bud Williams used to have a saying when he was working cattle: “Slow is fast and less is more.” Now, four years after his death, Bud’s daughter and son-in-law are carrying on that tradition by teaching proper stockmanship — the Bud Williams’ way. “Cattlemen have been led to believe that the only way[...]
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Stockmanship schools on offer
Livestock, News

Stockmanship schools on offer

Classes run June 13-14 in Red Deer and June 16-17 in Cochrane

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Richard McConnell and Tina William are presenting a two-day Proper Stockmanship School in Red Deer (June 13-14 at the Red Deer County Office) and Cochrane (June 16-17 at the Weedon Pioneer Community Hall). Topics include pressure and release; instincts of humans and livestock; the predator/prey relationship; positioning and movement; and sorting, weaning, receiving, and loading livestock.[...]
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a cattle handling system
Beef Cattle, Livestock

Don’t rush when upgrading or replacing a handling system

You’ll be living with any changes for a long time, so it pays to do your research and seek expert advice

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Reading Time: 3 minutes You’re going to invest in a new cattle-handling system, but there are so many options, you’re feeling confused. Here are some things to consider: Crowding tubs or Bud Box? A crowding tub is designed to move cattle from a wide group alley into a narrow single-file alley. Like the Bud Box, they rely on the[...]
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