The design of a cattle yard is arguably one of the most important elements for the safe and efficient handling of livestock. Designing a cattle yard is crucial for reducing the stress upon cattle and also for developing high-quality livestock. Designing a cattle yard is not a simple project as it requires a keen understanding of small elements such as choice of materials, design, size of the cattle, their behaviors, and keeping them in a flow.
Regardless of the head of cattle you rear on your property, it is important to design a safe cattle yard that makes livestock management significantly easier. By having the right infrastructure on hand, even small cattle yards can manage livestock with utmost safety and hygiene. A poorly designed cattle yard can increase the risk of accident or injury to both cattle and farm handlers thus, making it a task to invest in a modern and well-designed cattle yard.
7 Must-Know Tips for Designing Cattle Yards
Consider these things for better livestock management on your farm.
1. Organized Flow
There is much more to the Cattle yard design than just handling them in a group for a while. Since being pushed through a yard is unnatural to cattle, limiting the duration of time between yard and pen is important as this will reduce the total stress on animals. Layouts that better incorporate the flow of cattle through their yard, generally have inbound and outbound areas that have different entry and exit points.
2. Natural Materials
A natural environment makes cattle feel at home in their yard. Our lightweight, durable panels and gates are easy to move and adjust, giving you complete flexibility in your setup. The panels are built strong enough to resist sagging, ensuring long-lasting performance with minimal maintenance. Our fencing solutions combine comfort, safety, and practicality to create the perfect space for your cattle to thrive.
3. Yard Location & Layout
A cattle yard needs solid ground, not just any spare space. The right location lets you access your yard from all sides, making daily work smoother and more efficient. Good planning ensures your yard will last and serve its purpose for years to come. When planning your layout, consider proven sheep yard layout design principles too – these considerations help you create an efficient space that works well for all your livestock.
4. Operator Safety
If animals are stressed, it can be dangerous for the operator to efficiently manage them. Besides making efforts to reduce the stress of animals, it is important to understand the natural behavior of the cattle and plan the layout accordingly. As the feeling of being trapped, unfamiliar surroundings, and other factors affect the natural behavior of cattle, make sure to have a layout that allows the operator to safely manage the livestock.
5. Drafting Options
Drafting is the process of separating cattle into smaller lots for easier management purposes. Try having a layout that allows the operator and cattle to have a safe movement. Try these:
- Get drafting set up that keeps cattle and people separate.
- Go for non-slip catwalks for cattle handlers and have automatic gates that can be operated from both inside and outside of the yard.
- Working with the appropriate number of handlers in proportion to the cattle.
- Alternatively, use a portable cattle yard.
6. Spacious Pens
If cattle are forced into small pens, then they are more likely to have claustrophobic behavior and be stressed throughout the process. As cattle have a natural tendency to gather around their handler, circular pens can prove to be more efficient than any other pens. Also, Cattle like to graze in open fields with large amounts of space, thus having pens that allow this can be of more help.
7. Good Drainage
It goes without saying that it is crucial for the cattle yard to maintain a healthy environment with good odor. Cattle produce a significant amount of manure, and if the drainage is not appropriate, it can lead to health problems in cattle.
Conclusion
Cattle yard design should reduce the stress upon cattle and also help the manpower to manage them in the best way possible. Involving an experienced cattle yard supplier like Gold Coast Racking in a design process enables Australian farmers to design a cattle yard that will last decades.
Apart from warehouse storage solutions, we also provide expert advice and services in planning the layout of the cattle yards and designing the same.
