After I heard that two deadly accidents in farming 2003 were created by work with
cattle, I got the idea of writing this degree project. So far there are not too many reports
written about safety for the worker nor the animal. Therefore it will fit in with a report
about safe handling of free stalled cattle.
The Swedish Board of Agriculture would also like to do an information material about
outside stalled cattle with this degree project as a background.
The collecting of material was made by visiting farmers. The goal was to visit 15 – 20
herds and when this is being written 19 herds have been visited. The project had by that
point enough material to put a good degree project together. The visits were aimed at
beef producers, both beef cow and bull producers.
Each question was put together from where it came out what was most common in the
herds. In the result its visible that panels are the most common way of making a calving
pen and that permanent pens are most common as calf pens. To put ear tags in and to
weigh the calves there is most common to do that when the cow is locked up. To weigh
the cattle, the most common method in the herds was to use the mobile scale and a few
panels. Just two herds didn’t weigh their cattle. To do the testing (blood and manure
test) on cows, the most common way was to lock up the cows by the feeding table. That
was also the work moment that the farmers thought was most dangerous. The compact
loader and the tractor with a front end loader were both popular machines to do feeding
and to put out straw with. When it’s about the walls between the pens, it’s most
common with standing pipes, but many farmers thought that it would be safer for the
worker with laying pipes in the walls.
The things that the farmers thought worked best were the work with dehorned or polled
cattle, to be able to lock up the cows and the use of a compact loader.
Big areas for the cattle to be on and cattle without horns are both things that the farmers
think were important for the cattle safety.
The work moments that were mentioned as most dangerous were blood and manure
testing, ear tagging calves and moving cattle.
One thing that the farmers would like to improve was to butcher the freshly calved
cows, which are aggressive. The thing is, that some cows have stronger mother feelings
than others and I don’t mind that. But if the cow is too aggressive, than it’s dangerous. I
think it’s more important get to know your cows and be more observant when you are
about to tag the calf. If you don’t have the opportunity to lock the cow up, chase her
away if she seems to be aggressive.
When it’s about safety for the cattle, I think it’s very important to have lots of space for
the cows to move on. Cattle whitout horns are important too, lots of work get more
dangerous with horned cattle. And when it’s about beef cow production I figure that the
choice of a new herd bull is very important. The b...
