Cattle handling facilities are an essential part of any cattle operation. Producers who want to improve cattle health as well as marketing and production (along with family and worker relations) must invest in some type of livestock handling facilities.

A well-designed handling facility can save you time and money by making the task of treating and conducting preventive health practices, pregnancy testing, implanting, controlling parasites, vaccinating, castrating and dehorning practices easier and safer to conduct.

Animal stress caused by insufficient facilities and handling practices can have a negative impact on carcass quality traits. Animal stress can be reduced by the utilization of working facilities that focus on safety and livestock restraint. Quality defects such as bruising and injuries can also be reduced by the use of low-stress handling facilities and workers who know how to use facilities in relationship with livestock handling strategies.

The bottom line is that a well-designed facility can prevent injury to workers and cattle.

If you are planning on building or remodeling your facilities do your homework. The first consideration when building cattle working facilities is location, location, location.

Working facilities should be ideally placed along a fence line in an area where several fence lines and pastures meet. Take into consideration site drainage, biosecurity, truck and trailer loading areas and turnaround space, utilities, existing structures, available materials and facility expansion potential.

Source: Zanesville Times Recorder