Manners Matter - The Do's and Do Not's of Processing Cattle Through a Chute

Any time you have people, animals, and machinery all in close proximity, the opportunity for an accident is present. It takes constant effort, a culture of safety and consistent training to ensure that accidents don't happen. Arn Anderson, veterinarian with Cross Timbers veterinary hospital of Bowie, Texas, shares the do's and do not's for processing cattle through a chute.

So how does safety become a part of your operation's culture? According to Anderson, it starts with an emphasis by management backed up by the "five P's".

Purpose 

Ask yourself why you are working cattle. Are you there to palpate cows, test bulls, or administer a vaccine? You will likely get bad manners from your crew and see bad attitudes in your cattle if you process through the chute with more than one purpose. It's important to identify that purpose and make it known to everyone involved - communicate and start your day with everyone on the same page.

Planning

Anderson joked that if your goal is to work 1,500-pound bulls through a chute with a head gate attached by duct tape and zip ties you might be in for a rude awakening when the head gate won't hold to the chute. Planning and preparation are key to prevent the scenario above.

"Make sure your chute is functioning properly, you have the vaccinations needed, and etc.," Anderson said. "And in my neck of the woods we walk handling facility alleyways to check for rattlesnakes." 

Part of planning is also training people that help with processing so they understand what is expected. Your purpose and your plan shouldn't be a secret.

People 

Anderson said you are who you run with and working with inexperienced people certainly won't lead to an efficient process. Two issues Anderson often experiences is there are too many people or not enough people to do the job and that no one knows who's the boss. It's important to figure out who is leading the process to avoid confusion.

Paying attention

"For me, it involved my mom's hand and the back of my head. In church, I often saw the light when the back of her hand came across that pew," Anderson said. "Distractions and not paying attention often lead to simple mistakes becoming dangerous situations."

He stressed the importance of eliminating things from the job scene that can distract you and your crew's ability to pay attention - cell phone, cow dog, children, and tennage boys with tennage girls. 

Politeness

There is no excuse for rudeness. The person in charge is the one that sets the standards for the crew and operation. 

"Standards for purpose, planning, and paying attention will draw the line for what is considered polite. Politeness at the chute is what's going to make your whole operation work smoothly," Anderson said.

He recommends establishing a rhythm and not switching jobs until the person in charge requests it.

Putting safety into practice allows workers to learn to be proactive in times of risk or danger rather than reactive.

Demonstrate perseverance and a positive attitude toward implementing the "five P's" the next time you're processing cattle through a chute. Today's circumstances require us to train consistently and effectively to preserve a way of like that is under increased scrutiny.