Beef Carcass Quality Low Stress Handling

Capital benefits of low-stress handling

Increased gain. Increased conception rates. Less cattle sickness. Improved carcass quality.

Those are simply a few of the benefits of low-stress cattle handling demonstrated through various inquiry.

For case, a study at Oregon State Academy found earlier onset of puberty and 8% more conception to fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) in heifers acclimated to homo handlers, compared with those left to themselves until needing to be worked.

Likewise, research at Washington State University looked at the effect of cattle temperament and handling facility blueprint. There was an viii% advantage in conception for heifers (fixed-time AI) with quieter dispositions, handled in facilities conducive to low-stress handling.

Rick Machen shared the information with participants at the recent 13th Annual Holt True cat Symposium on Excellence in Ranch Direction. This twelvemonth'southward focus was Practical Stockmanship in Ranching. Machen holds the Paul C. Genho Endowed Chair in Ranch Direction at the Rex Ranch Institute for Ranch Direction (KRIRM) at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, which hosted the symposium.

As for calves, Machen shared the experience of a preconditioning yard that compared low-stress handling of weaned calves to conventional handling. Incoming cattle acclimated to human handlers—spending xv-30 minutes per day with the groups—resulted in less sickness, increased feed intake and increased average daily gain of 0.25 pounds for the first 30 days after weaning.

"At that place is scientific evidence that supports the merits of low-stress cattle treatment," Machen said. He also pointed out that low-stress handling doesn't mean no-pressure treatment.

"Often times, people equate depression-stress handling with no pressure, and that's non the case," Machen explained. "Low-stress handling is about applying pressure to cattle when they take a place to go, from the right position and correct angle and in the appropriate amount to create cattle motility. Low-stress handling is most managing cattle movement."

That's why pressuring the last dogie at the stop of the long line of cattle in the tub is so pointless. Cattle want to come across where the pressure is coming from. Besides, the calf—already shoved up confronting the head in front of it—has nowhere to go.

Likewise improved brute welfare, Machen explained that depression-stress handling contributes to increased consumer confidence, also as improved handler welfare.

Though difficult to quantify, in that location is no question that depression-stress cattle handling contributes to less stress and fewer injury opportunities for the folks treatment the cattle.

And then there are employees

"We pay good money for well-trained horses...We volition spend years and a lot of funds to improve our rangelands and then that we can produce livestock and wild animals more efficiently to sustain our given concern. We spend a lot of time, endeavor and capital to train employees to exercise the given tasks," said Decky Spiller, director of the Kiowa Creek Division of Silvery Spur Ranches at Elbert, Colo.

"Simply how much time do we spend educating them on why they do a job a certain manner and how that method affects those they work with?" He was on the symposium program visiting about ranch worker safety and workers' compensation.

"Does the crew work effectively as a squad to handle the livestock in a stockman-like mode and then as to support the training that it requires to become the livestock to the endpoint we want?" Spiller asked. "How much time, effort and capital do we spend training our livestock to do the chore we require of them in a calm, safe and productive manner?"

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Source: https://www.beefmagazine.com/blog/capital-benefits-low-stress-handling