design, materials and construction - FutureBeef

1 Queensland the Smart Statedesign, materials and constructionTHIRD EDITION design , materials and constructionTHIRD EDITIONEvan Powell and John LapworthCattle yardsInformation series QE94009 Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, QueenslandiiISSN 0727 6273 ISBN 0 7242 2259 6 Agdex 420/722 First published 1986 Reprinted 1992 with amendmentsReprinted 1994 Reprinted 1996 Second edition 1998 Reprinted 2002 Third edition 2006 General disclaimerInformation contained in the publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate at the time of production. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter. The State of Queensland, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries 2006 Copyright protects this publication.

2 Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited without prior written permission of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, should be addressed to: Manager, DPI&F publications Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries GPO Box 46 Brisbane Qld 4001iiiContentsAbout the authors ivIntroduction 1 Workers safety in yards 2 Ani mal behaviour and welfare 4 Yard operations 5 Yard location 6 Yard protection 7 materials and construction 8 Cattle behaviour and planning hints 11 Gates and gateways 14 Yards within yards 20 Drafting 22 Forcing pens 27 Races 29 Race gates 33 Veterinary crushes 36 Head bails 39 Loading ramps 41calf races 44 Plunge dips 46 Cattle scales 49 Artificial breeding facilities 51 Portable yards 52 Yard plans 53 Glossar 64 Further reading 66ivAbout the authorsThe late Evan Powell was a beef adviser with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Lapworth is a Principal Project Officer with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland.

3 John has extensive experience in transport handling and welfare of livestock and is currently based in yards are an essential facility for raising beef cattle. Once built they last for many years; as a result few cattlemen erect more than one or two yards in a lifetime. A poorly designed set of yards can lead to years of inconvenience and frustration, while well-planned yards save on manpower, enable efficient handling of stock, minimise bruising and are a pleasure to work are many yard designs, none of which is perfect for all operations. However, those in which cattle work well have certain features in common and many of these features are discussed in this building a new set of yards, study as many plans as possible, observe a number of yards in operation, and then combine these experiences with your requirements and start yards are expensive so take care to ensure minimal maintenance and future operating costs by selecting the best plan and materials for your basic facilities for close handling of various sizes of herds are similar.

4 It is possible to construct a nucleus that can be added to as cattle numbers and operations demand. The main difference between a yard designed for 200 head of cattle and a yard for 2000 head is the size of the receiving and holding yards. Excessive capital expenditure on sturdy yard fences can be reduced by having several small holding paddocks which enable the stock to be worked in smaller groups. Most yards require facilities for receiving, holding and moving cattle into smaller working yards for drafting, animal restraint, loading and unloading. Calf branding facilities are required for breeding herds, whereas a dip may be necessary in cattle tick infested design of the yard and the capital invested will depend on the number of cattle to be handled now and in the foreseeable future, the number of people available to work in the yards, the operations to be conducted and the frequency of yard use. design the yards to suit a one-person operation where possible, and so that all yards are stock-proof for all classes of book has been written to suit on-farm situations rather than large commercial feedlots, even though cattle handling principles remain the safety in yardsThere are several reasons why workplace health and safety in cattle yard designs should be considered: the safety of workers, family and visitors legislative requirements defence in common law litigation work efficiencyMany injuries result from kicks and gate accidents because of the unpredictable nature of cattle, poor stockmanship or poorly designed and maintained design alone will not prevent worker injury.

5 Following good stockmanship principles, and using appropriate equipment and clothing, will also assist in reducing stress is a major cause of worker injury, as well as having a negative impact on carcase quality. Some design and construction features may reduce the chance of worker injury: use material of sufficient strength and durability position gates to reduce chance of workers getting stuck have strong positive self-latching gates provide easy operator escape avenues from yards such as manways, foot holes and open rail construction use strong and durable rail atachments allow sufficient space to avoid overcrowding cattle avoid noisy equipment, materials and constructions plan yards so that animals can see a clear path in the required direction where horses are used, ensure that cap rails are well above the rider s height avoid sharp or protruding objects in the yards avoid using slippery material in walk areas consider possible injury from veterinary crush levers and gates in high throughput yards.

6 Consider plans that enable stock to be worked from outside forcing areas design pound drafting gate poles to reduce the chance of operators being speared plan to minimise dust have a walkway beside loading ramps ensure that power lines are well clear of double-deck cattle trailers where handlers work on the top redesign features that cause shadows and reduce the free flow of further information on workplace health and safety issues in Queensland, refer to the most recent edition of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 and Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997 and Workplace Health and Safety (Miscellaneous) Regulations any other enquiries, contact the Division of Workplace Health and Safety, Department of Training and Industrial Relations. Or visit the Farm Safe website pages relating to cattle yards at: Safe Cattle Handling behaviour and welfareAnimal welfare is an important issue for cattle producers as they are responsible for the animals in their care.

7 They must provide the basic needs of water, food, shelter and safety for their animals. In the yard situation these needs can be supplied in many ways and actually improve the efficiency of beef production. Many welfare problems that arise in cattle yards are easily overcome by taking into account normal animal behaviour. Where these factors are considered in yard design and construction , the time spent handling and processing cattle in yards will be significantly reduced and animals will be more possible, avoid handling cattle in the heat of the day. Animals work better in cooler conditions. Overcrowding should also be avoided as it causes confusion, significantly increases handling time and predisposes cattle to injury. Cattle need social contact and should not be left on their important welfare/behaviour features include the use of cooling yards, curved races, sheeting, visual barriers, regular maintenance, the removal of protrusions and noise reduction.

8 The supply of adequate water and feed trough space is essential. All head bails should use a walk-through design . Other designs can cause choking and other yards are particularly important on larger properties as they allow animals to settle for a period and recover from the stresses of mustering or handling in the yards. During this cooling period calves are able to mother up , and calf losses are virtually eliminated. After the cooling or settling periods animals can then be more easily handled in yards, moved back to pasture and loaded onto areas where water is available, watering the yards improves the conditions for working cattle and reduces the danger to has often been said, Look after your animals and they will look after you . This really means that good handling equates to good animal Codes of Practice for the welfare of animals are generally available from State Departments of Primary Industries or Agriculture.

9 These codes give the recommended minimum standards required for animal operationsIn the table below, operations for which the yards are required are noted in order of necessity and priority. Facilities to cater for these operations are given opposite them. Where practical, these facilities should be combined and included in the new yard FacilitiesDraftingDrafting yard, pound, drafting race, or a combination of theseLoading and unloadingRamp and raceCattle-tick treatmentA water supply with a dip or spray race or, with very small numbers, a hand-spraying race, pour-ons in raceTick movement inspectionRace with access to both sides of animalsDisease testingRaceCross brandingRace or veterinary crushWormingRace of head bailEar taggingRaceDehorningHead bail for adults, calf cradle for calvesHorn tippingHead bailWeighingScalesEye treatmentHead bailLice treatmentSmall yard or racePregnancy testingRace or veterinary crushArtificial inseminationVeterinary crushCalf brandingCradle, flank-barCastrating calvesAs for brandingVaccinationsVeterinary crush, race, cradle for calvesEarmarking calvesCradleWeaning and calf educationYard with water.

10 Shade and feed trough or hay rackVeterinary treatmentVeterinary crush with head bail or raceCalving assistanceRaceSprayingVeterinary crushHoof trimmingVeterinary crushResting (cooling)Large yard or small paddock with shade and waterEar implantsHead bail6 Ideally, yards should be centrally located, with the holding paddock having direct access to as many paddocks as possible. Where this is not possible, a laneway system greatly increases handling efficiency. Extensive holdings may require more than one set of , a large permanent handling facility sited around or near a water point may be further supported by strategically placed smaller yards or portable vehicle access is best. Where all-weather access is available at the property boundary but not to the central yards, a lockable loading facility may be located near the , build yards on a 1 to 2% slope that provides drainage from the working area and the yard site. Gullies, hollows and obstructions such as rocky areas that impede stock movement and prevent expansion should be site should be open but not devoid of trees.