Low Stress Methods For Moving And Herding Cattle On Pastures

In order to lower stress and improve productivity, calm, quiet handling of cattle in all aspects of management is very important. There are three steps in the process of moving cattle on large pastures:

- Temple Grandin, Jennifer Lanier and Mark Deesing

Step 1: Gathering and loose bunching

This is the most critical step. The majority of the herd must be loosely bunched before any attempt is made to move the cattle. Depending on herd size, wildness of the cattle and the terrain, it will usually take five to 20 minutes to induce the herd to form a loose bunch. This is accomplished by applying very light pressure on the edge of the collective flight zone to induce the animals to move into a loose bunch.

The handler should locate the majority of the herd and start making a series of wide back and forth movements on the edge of the herd. You should move in the pattern of a giant windshield wiper.

The handler can induce the rear animals to begin to move by giving them a ‘predatory’ stare. This simulates the initial stalking behaviour of a predator sizing up the herd. The handler should keep continuously moving back and forth. If you stop moving and linger too long in one animal’s blind spot, it may turn back and look at you.

On open pastures, it is important to take your time. Six to 20 wide back and forth movements of 100m or more may be required to move the herd into a loose bunch. Handler movement patterns on large pastures and other large spaces are much larger than handler movement patterns in confined spaces such as alleys or feedlot pens. The handler should continuously walk back and forth and move enough to the side so that the lead animals can see him (Figure 1).

Cattle that are off to one side of the pasture will be attracted as the herd moves into a loose bunch. Animals hidden in the brush or timber will be drawn out because they seek the safety of the herd. Do not chase stragglers.