As a livestock farmer, animal handling isn’t just a big part of your job—it is your job. Keeping you and your animal safe is paramount, not just for your well-being but also for your efficiency and your livelihood.
So what do farmers like you need to consider? Follow along as we cover a few key factors that influence animal behaviour, what you can do to reduce risk, and which solutions could boost that effect even further.
General Safety Considerations
Proper animal handling starts with a thorough understanding of animal behaviour. Your biggest safety risks will come from startled, panicked, or defensive animals.
Jumpy Cattle
Cattle’s propensity to spook comes from a few things. First, they have very wide vision but struggle with depth perception in front of them, so they’ll misjudge distances—and therefore potential dangers. Their ears are sensitive to high frequencies, including loud metal noises.
This is all compounded by their flight instincts as prey animals. Sudden kicks, head swings, and stampedes are a real danger. Make sure you stay out of blind spots, avoid loud noises with metal or other material, and keep your movements smooth to prevent a rodeo from breaking out.
Flocking Sheep
Sheep have a decidedly non-forward field of vision. Their peripherals are great, though, and this partially influences their incredibly strong flocking instinct. Sheep will often blindly follow their group into danger, and left separated or isolated, they become unpredictable, freezing or bolting erratically.
Without proper space and management, they’ll crowd themselves into injury or even suffocation. Handlers may get caught in the mix. And panicked stragglers might injure themselves or break critical fencing infrastructure.
To avoid these outcomes, make sure you have plenty of room for your flock (or smaller groups to work with if possible) and a well-organized system that keeps them together. A well-designed chute system helps guide sheep smoothly while preventing separations and pile-ups.
Sneaky Goats
Goats aren’t as panicky as sheep or as powerful as cattle, but their natural independence can still cause safety challenges. Coming from rocky environments with looser herd structures, goats don’t rely on others for safety. So when confined or pressured, they don’t freeze, they look for a way out.
They will find an escape route if you’re not careful. Goats are notorious escape artists. They’ll push through jump fencing, push through weak spots, or squeeze through gaps—often kicking or struggling violently if restrained. This can be a risk to handlers.
Make sure you’re using sturdy chutes and panels to keep movement under control without stress or injury—and with minimal chance of escape.
Handler Safety Equipment
Well-chosen equipment will prevent accidents before they happen. Here are three key handling solutions:
- Cattle squeeze chutes eliminate risks from kicking and thrashing, so you can work with your animals without worry.
- Crowding tubs and alleyways prevent dangerous overcrowding by guiding animals and keeping movement nice and organized.
- Heavy-duty corral panels and gates are reliable barriers that will hold up should an animal freak out and decide to ram them—keeping them contained and safe.
And don’t forget safety essentials like steel-toed boots for hoof injuries, gloves for burns and bites, eye protection for close quarters, and helmets for high-risk handling situations.
Lakeland is all about keeping you safe, efficient and making life easier. Explore our full selection of products on our website.