Animal Handling

Animals’ activity levels can range from sleep at one extreme, through standing, grazing and playing, to fight or flight at the other. Handling will always raise the activity levels and the skill of a good livestock driver is to get animals active enough to move onto a vehicle but not so active that they become unmanageable and dangerous to handle.

Rough, aggressive handling produces animals which are:

• excitable and over-active;
• unapproachable and difficult to handle;
• more likely to cause injury to handlers.

The flight zone

All animals have an imaginary area around them called the flight zone. When a handler enters this zone, the animal will want to move away. The size of the flight zone will depend on the breed of the animal and its previous experience. Hill cattle and sheep will tend to have much larger flight zones than dairy animals which are accustomed to being handled regularly. A noisy and aggressive handler will also increase the flight zone.

To control an animal’s movement, first position yourself on the boundary of the animal’s flight zone, behind and to one side of the animal. Step just within the flight zone boundary (position A) to make the animal move forward. Move outside the flight zone boundary (position B) to stop forward movement. When you position yourself at the point of balance the animal should stand still. The same principles apply to moving groups of animals.

If you penetrate the flight zone too deeply the animal will attempt to get away, either by running from you if it can escape, or by turning back and running past (or at) you if confined. If an animal attempts to turn back, move away and once you are out of the flight zone the animal should stop.

In order to reduce stress in animals, and make your job quicker, easier and safer, take note of the following guidance:

Position

Take the correct position in relation to the animal – good animal handlers are always in the right place at the right time.

Calmness

Be calm and quiet – noise and panic make animals more active, more excitable and more difficult to handle.

Confidence

Be confident and be positive – animals sense fear and hesitation and will use it to their own advantage.

Patience

Be patient and take your time – animals do not like to be hurried.

Vigilance

Stay alert – you may have to move quickly; and be ready to anticipate and animal’s behaviour.

Understand flight zones, be in the right place at the right time, and remain calm and quiet.