Behavioral Principles of Keeping Cattle Calm

Calm animals are much easier to handle than fearful, frightened animals. If cattle or horses become agitated, they should be given 20 to 30 minutes to calm back down. Yelling is highly distressful to livestock and cattle had greater heart rates in response to people yelling compared to the sounds of gates slamming. Cattle will often balk and refuse to walk through a chute when they see distractions. Some of the most common distractions that cause balking are: contrasts between different types of flooring, reflections on shiny metal or water, seeing moving people up ahead vehicles parked by a chute, dangling chains, and coats on fences. Removing distractions will improve animal movement. [...]