There is usually a time constraint and, inevitably, there is something forgotten everyone is looking for at the last minute. Our job is to make the processing period as uneventful as possible for cattle. Successful processing is determined by two things: people and facilities.
Cattle-working facilities in the Southeast can vary widely, to say the least. You rarely see two places with the same setup, and that’s certainly fine. Whether it’s handmade, wooden facilities or galvanized sweep tubs and chutes, the direction of cattle flow is oftentimes the most important part of a good setup.
Concepts for working facilities have come full circle. Fifteen years ago, the majority of new designs had curved alleys with fully blind sides. These concepts can and do work well in many cases. Packing plants run more efficiently and report better animal welfare due to those advancements.
Smaller operations may not need or benefit from such extensive design. Simplicity for the operator and the animal is oftentimes overlooked. Because of that, many modern designs for cattle operations are going back to straight and more open-sided alleys.
Cattle can see where they are going, and handlers can more easily apply flight-zone pressure by walking past the animal from front to rear. Cattle flow in a system is largely going to be impacted by their natural tendencies and the position of the handler.
Straight alleyways and chutes that flow back toward where the cattle came from tend to work very well. Too many twists and turns can make it confusing for the animals. Balked cattle can create a wreck.
Even gentle cattle can become agitated, and they don’t soon forget bad experiences. Stressed and agitated cattle are known to have reduced production and increased sickness.
We must remember: All cattle really want to do is eat and live. If cattle aren’t flowing well in a system, we must remember: It’s like the husband shopping with his wife – he’s nervous. If cattle naturally want to go, things work more smoothly. Much like men shopping for guns. Have a Merry Christmas. 
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Jason Duggin
- Beef Extension Specialist
- University of Georgia
- Email Jason Duggin
