Sale Rings

When animals enter the ring they are almost always in a heightened sense of alert, this can make them flighty, unpredictable and in some cases dangerous. Every attempt needs to be made to keep the animals calm, this includes:

• Keeping the number of people in the ring to a minimum
• Only using experienced, competent and confident staff
• Having clear exit routes (with little opportunity for animals to charge out of the ring)
• Having no perceived escape routes
• Allowing a second animal in the ring if the first remains unsettled
• Considerate use of handling aids to direct the movement of the animal

For cattle, the sides of the ring need to be sufficiently high to prevent any animal from attempting to jump out. Curving the upper section of the ring side barrier inwards will discourage animals from attempting to escape.

The floor of the sale ring should be maintained clean so that it remains non-slip throughout the sale.

Speaker systems also need to be monitored to ensure they are not too loud, as this may unsettle the animals even further.

In cattle sale rings it is important there are suitable escape routes for staff, in case an animal becomes aggressive.

Next: Identification Raceways