Ireland is well known for its livestock sector, from suckler and beef finishing farms to dairy farms aplenty. Therefore, cattle handling is a key skill to have on most Irish farms.

With this in mind, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has compiled a list of “Golden Rules in Handling Cattle”.

This can be broken into key sections as follows.

To begin with, in terms of resources and facilities, the HSA says you should always:

  • Work out an escape route or refuge area in advance of working with cattle;
  • Wear suitable protective clothing and footwear;
  • Use well-designed facilities – these should be seen as an investment in your safety;
  • Regularly check and maintain facilities such as the crush, gate latches and fences;
  • Protect yourself against biohazards with proper personal hygiene; and
  • Keep ground surfaces clean and clear of trip hazards, as far as possible.

Next up, once these are sorted, one looks at the actual handling of the animals.

Taking this into account, the authority advises that you should “know and understand the basics of cattle behaviour”.

This can be understood in the form of the head (lowering and jutting out the top of the head) and tail positions, pawing the ground with its legs, or bellowing.

Seriously distressed cattle often bellow loudly – a sure sign to the farmer to be especially careful and to its herd-mates that there is danger.

You should always be careful around cows that are calving or with newborn calves, as they are more likely to attack.

Also, it’s wise to remember that cows that are in heat are unpredictable.

Farmers should try to keep cattle calm when handling them and, just in case, have a stick or paddle to assist in directing cattle.

Watch out for warning signs of animal aggressiveness and cull fractious and difficult cattle. It’s also best to exercise caution when administering veterinary treatments.

Finally, in terms of management, the HSA outlines ways you can make things easier and safer on yourself.

First up, if getting workers in, make sure persons handling cattle are competent and agile.

Secondly, use bulls that produce docile offspring – and maximise the use of Artificial Insemination (AI) to minimise the need for a stock bull.

Lastly, debud calves early to prevent horn growth.