“Cattle are sentient beings, and each animal is unique. They feel stress, anxiety, and aggression. They can behave unpredictably, which can lead to critical crushing injuries, so steps must be taken to protect workers,” says Ryan Dick, Health and Safety Consultant with Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS).

Handling cattle comes with risks, but these risks are higher when workers are inexperienced. “One of the biggest issues I have been seeing lately when it comes to working with cattle is the lack of training,” says Ryan, referring to the fact that farm operators are hiring unskilled labour more often these days. “Even if a new worker has some farm experience, they may have never handled cattle before,” he says. “And if you do not know what to do, you could unintentionally put yourself or others at significant risk.”

On the other hand, farmers who have been dealing with livestock for their whole lives can become complacent. “When people have worked with large animals for many years and become very comfortable doing it, they often forget about what could happen and the severity of the types of injuries we’re talking about,” explains Ryan. Whether you are a new farm worker or someone who has grown up handling cattle, you need to be aware of the risks, familiar with the animals, and understand how to protect yourself.

Watch for signs of aggression

Just like people, cattle can become stressed or anxious for various reasons. Also, like people, they can be crankier than usual when sick. “You should not assume livestock will always behave in the same way,” says Ryan. The animal may not feel well, or they may be experiencing hormonal changes that affect mood. “An animal that is usually calm may not be so calm one day. You have to be prepared for that.”

Loud noises, such as traffic or vehicle horns, can cause cattle to become agitated. Isolation can also make them very anxious. “When you are handling cattle, the last animal that you put through the gate will become more stressed because they are alone,” explains Ryan. This is something farm workers need to be aware of so that they respond accordingly.

When livestock are stressed, they often show signs of aggression, and their behaviour can become unpredictable. “A stressed animal will take 20-40 minutes to calm down,” notes Ryan. “During that time, you do not want to do anything that will increase the animal’s agitation and make the situation worse.” Ryan is referring to things like yelling or making noise, waving arms or jumping around the animal, and trying to get too close or approaching the animal from behind. “If you get into an animal’s personal space, or flight zone, that may cause their anxiety levels to rise even more,” says Ryan.

4 tips to manage cattle safely

Cattle thrive on consistency and familiarity,” says Ryan. If introducing new people or an environment, expect the animals to be anxious at first and give them some time to adjust. He offers this advice to keep yourself and your workers safe when handling cattle.

1. Create positive memories. “Cattle and animals have memories,” says Ryan. “So, if every time they enter a chute it ends with pain, they are going to get very agitated at the sight of it.” He recommends running cattle through the system without doing anything to them so that they do not immediately associate it with pain.
2. Use the proper equipment. Do not manually handle cattle. The risk of injury is too high. Use curved chutes, halters, and headgates. Always provide training on how to safely use this equipment.
3. Avoid working alone. Farm operators should always know where people are working on the farm and should have emergency contact numbers posted in case something goes wrong. Do not handle cattle alone.
4. Have an escape route. When working with cattle, never stand in a position where you cannot access the exit. Never stand directly behind an unlatched gate and avoid getting backed into a corner.

Get more advice from farm safety experts. Visit our farm safety centre for more information on legislation and training and to access free resources.

The information in this article is accurate as of its publication date.