Handling Animals

Farmers and farmworkers can easily be injured by livestock. Cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, dogs and other farm animals can be unpredictable and should be treated with caution at all times. Attempting to lift or push animals can cause injury and animals may also transmit certain diseases. Plan ahead for any task, maintain a barrier between the animals and yourself, and get help if you need it.

To prevent farm accidents, assess the breed, temperament, gender-mix, size and training of your animals. Remember that both male and female animals may be more aggressive during the mating season.

Make sure your workers are adequately trained and familiar with the temperament of the animals they are working with. Also, ensure that yards and fences are well designed and properly maintained.

Always wear suitable protective clothing (pants, boots) and use appropriate animal-handling facilities and aids such as cradles and crushes.

General Principles

• The approach and all actions should be done in a calm and unruffled manner. Avoid a wild approach.
• Sounds and noise should be limited to a minimum, especially with single animals.
• Animals should always be talked to first, to make them aware of the presence of the handler. Individual animals, in particular, should be addressed in a quiet, even and calming way.
• Any action or movement should be performed slowly and deliberately. Sudden movements will cause animals to become excited and restless.
• The safety of the operator and his assistants should be the first consideration.
• The safety of the animals, causing of injury and unnecessary pain must be considered.
• Always ensure that assistants know exactly what they must do.
• See to it that the best available aids are at hand.
• Use the most suitable facilities that are available for a particular purpose or that can be constructed easily and practically. This is necessary for effective handling and will also save much time.
• Individual animals should always be caught and controlled by people they know and by whom they are normally handled.

Approach to Animals

The approach to animals will depend on the following factors:

Kind of Animal

For example, the approach to horses is totally different from that of cattle, sheep or pigs. The approach to dogs and cats differs and is altogether different from that of the other species.

Breed

A Thoroughbred or American Saddler is more highly-strung and nervous than a Percheron or Boerperd and should be approached more calmly. Similarly, there is a big difference in temperament between for example Afrikaner and Friesland cattle, Merino and Namaqua Africander sheep, Boer goats and Angora goats, etc.

Sex

Male animals are generally more aggressive than female animals, for example, a Jersey bull as compared to a Jersey cow, a ram as compared to a ewe, etc. Male animals are also physically stronger than female animals.

Age

Older animals are usually calmer than younger animals. On the other hand, older animals may be more aggressive e.g. an old bull or ram. Young animals should always be handled in the presence or with the aid of tame ones and preferably their mothers.

Individuals or Groups Of Animals

The approach to a single horse is different to that of a number of horses or a single cow or sheep to that of a herd or flock.

Tame or Untamed Animals

This will immediately determine the approach to be followed, for instance, a tame horse can easily be approached and caught, while other methods must be used with an untamed one. A tame animal could, however, have acquired certain habits.

Different Approaches Apply To Different Animals

Horses

The first thing to do when approaching a horse is to make it aware that you are coming by means of whistling softly whilst walking towards it and talking softly as you come close to it. Unless a horse is very tame, it must always be driven towards a corner of the kraal, fence or crush and whilst doing all this, your hand must be lifted and stretched slowly and gradually until you softly touch the neck. Gradually touch the neck until you gently reach the head and rub it gently. Then put the halter on the head. If the horse is too wild it may be necessary to use a crush pen. In some instances, tame animals may be used to press the wild ones or, in the case of young horses, the presence of their mothers can be used as a means of catching them.

Cattle

Handling cattle depends on the breed. For example, handling dairy cattle is easier than handling most beef cattle. Dairy cattle are usually tame because they are always handled in the milking sheds and thus they are generally familiar with handling. Bulls, whether they are dairy cattle or beef, must be always handled with care. A crush pen or paddock may be used to catch them. When handling bulls, one must never use bare hands only. A bull pole should be handled using a nose ring. Calves can be handled well in their calf pens. When working with animals, one must always be calm and avoid too much whistling and abuse of them.

Sheep and Goats

Goats and sheep are usually easier to handle than large stock. No talking is required when handling them. If one wants to catch a goat or a sheep, it is always better to do this in kraals or crush pens unless sheepdogs are used which can assist in rounding the flock up and directing them towards a gate or kraal. A sheep or goat can be caught with its hind leg from behind or with its horns if it has horns. Too much whistling should be avoided when working with sheep or goats.

Pigs

Pigs can be driven together if they are a group. Also, when handling pigs, they should be approached from behind and this can be done in their sty. Special crush pens can be used for pigs when available.

Dogs and Cats

The best persons to handle these animals first are their owners before a stranger comes along. They are not handled as a group but as individuals. One should handle them calmly. Dogs and cats must be approached directly from the front slowly and calmly. When approaching a dog, you must stretch your hand slowly from a distance and gently touch its head first.)

Correct Handling Equipment

Having access to good handling infrastructure/facilities goes a long way to creating a safe environment in which to handle animals. Points to bear in mind when designing and constructing handling facilities are:

• Use strong and durable materials that can withstand heavy and sudden weight, are easy to clean and do not readily splinter.
• Ensure that floor surfaces are suitably rough to prevent slipping of animals and humans.
• Construct handling facilities undercover or in a shady and wind-protected area so that workers do not tire too quickly, and animals do not get agitated in extreme weather conditions.
• Fences and gates need to be in a good state.
• Electric fences need to give a good strong signal to be effective - check the volt reading regularly. Avoid chasing animals towards an electric fence. They will ignore the fence and break it.
• Different species need different sizes and shapes of infrastructure.
• All movable parts of the handling facility need to be free-moving (grease or oil joints and hinges from time to time)
• All stables, boxes, crates etc. that are to be used to contain animals, need to be thoroughly checked before they are used. Special attention should be given to sharp objects and loose wires in the handling areas.
• Other potential risks when working with animals include such aspects as:

1. • Poisoning by venom.
   • Contraction of tetanus as a result of injury by an animal. (It is advisable to have yourself and the animal vaccinated against tetanus).
   • Contracting a variety of zoönotic diseases such as brucellosis, TB, Rabies, endo-parasites, mad-cow disease.

It is for the prevention of such problems that Bio-security regulations should be applied.