Farm livestock safety tips

Each year, cattle produce more injuries than tractors or agricultural machinery. Bad judgment or complacency around animals are some of the most common reasons for agricultural accidents, and because the senses of animals are very different from ours, it is important to remember that you should approach animals with caution and Recognize their different needs when it comes to them. Follow these safety tips for livestock when dealing with livestock to minimize the risk of an accident or illness.

• Try to develop a routine with the animals. Animals of all types respond well to an established routine, wake up, feed, gather and spend the night at the same time every day. If you need to change the routine, do it gradually so as not to disorient the animals.

• Approach all animals with caution. Most animals can not see particularly well through their peripheral vision in the same way as humans, so if you approach an animal from behind, you could scare them. Approach from the front or from the front of the animal so that they realize your focus.

• Animals have difficulty with depth and color perception. They can also be sensitive to changes between light and dark. Brightening a touch in your eyes while you face them during the night may well scare them. Try setting up a routine that allows you to move from light to dark slowly, or set the lights in barns so that the contrast between day and night is not so great. Make it easy for the animals and they will make it easier for you.

• Be careful not to scare the animal. Animals are sensitive to many things, light and noise in particular, so it is important that you approach carefully and silently and speak to the animal in low and relaxing tones.

• Think about using the services of veterinarians of farm animals. They can manage their livestock, doing everything from controlling nutrition to evaluating the lameness of the animals. This could take some pressure off the management of the animals, which should mean that you are more relaxed with the animals you care for.

• Give yourself an exit. Make sure there is no way for a startled animal to pin it against a fence or against the wall and make sure there is always room for it to come out.

• Always be extremely prudent with male animals, particularly bulls. Half of the deaths are caused by bulls, despite the fact that only 2% of the cattle population are bulls.

• Distribute the feeding in large patches and differentiate the pattern from one day to the next to avoid territorial problems. Instead of dispersing in a large patch, spread the food through the feeding area in several different places so that the strongest and oldest animals do not begin to have a territorial character.

• Never become complacent. Animals that generally have good temperament can change in an instant and vice versa, therefore, always be careful with all animals, even those that seem to have mild temperaments.