Stress-free Stckmanship Autr: Jep Driessen Date: June 2017 Bergharen, the Netherlands Inspired by Bud Williams, Texas. Prbably the best cattle stckman ever. Online training n Stress-free stckmanship Sign up here >> Next day live training n Stress-free stckmanship We dn t have a next date fr day training yet. We ll publish it here as sn as we d: Bk n Stress-free stckmanship is being develped Fr mre inf cntact Jan Hulsen >> See als 2 pages stress-free stckmanship in CwSignals Checkbk Fllw us n scial media: CwSignals training center Hekgraaf 17a 6617 AX Bergharen The Netherlands www.cwsignals.cm inf@cwsignals.cm - + 31 (0) 487 745 041 CwSignals is a member f the Vetvice Grup
Pr attitude farm wrker WHY STRESS-FREE STOCKMANSHIP? Less accidents Less lameness Mre milk prductin Mre wrking pleasure Bad/unpredicatble behaviur cw Pr bahaviur twards cw 5 TIPS FROM JOEP DRIESSEN Scared cw 1. Wiggling When yu re standing still, it s hard fr a cw t see yu. By wiggling a small mvement where yu mve yur weight frm ne ft t the ther it s easier fr her t ntice yu. 2. Zigzag in a T t the gate If yu want t mve a cw t the gate, walk in straight lines behind here at a 90 angle frm the directin that yu want the cw t g in. The lng end f the T is the directin that yu want the cw t g in, the shrt end f the T are yur walking lines. When the cw is mving in the right directin, yu can shrten yur walking lines. By ding this, the cw can see yu behind her in her peripheral visin, s she wn t get restless. By shwing up n bth her left and right, yu prevent her frm changing directin. 2
3. Step back Be aware f the cws flight zne: if she starts t mve, yu are in her pressure zne. Step back as sn as she mves t reward her. 4. Stay at her left A cw s flight center is lcated in the right half f her brain. Therefre, the cw wants t keep her left eye n yu. 5. A cw is a flight animal and a herd animal Keep the cw s nature in mind. She s a herd animal, s she want t stay with the herd r at least be able t keep an eye n them. Hwever, she s als a flight animal. She ll want t keep an eye n yu always. IF YOU WANT TO BE FAST, THINK LAST Dr. Gerard Cramer, DVM, University f Minnesta L = LOCATION A= ANGLE S = SPEED T = TIMING 3
THE BUDBOX Inventin by Bud Williams, 80 years experience frm age 12 till 92. Prbably the best stckman ever and the inspiratin fr this training. Gal: mve cws stress-free t area 3 by ne persn (fr example a trailer r treatment area) 2. X 3. 1. 1. Mve the cws frm area 1 t area 2. After that, clse a swing gate t prevent cws frm mving back 2. The cws will turn arund at the dead end and try t g back frm where they came frm. Hwever, their nly ptin will be t mve n t area 3. 3. Once the cws are turned arund, yu stand n spt X and nly mve (wiggle) frm left t right a bit. The cws will be inclined t g arund yu. By stepping near the pening, yu will prevent the cws frm ging in all at nce. By stepping away frm the pening, yu will invite cws t g in area 3. Ntice hw the cws make a left turn? Vide with examples Bud Bx 4
BONUS: A SUMMARY OF AN EDUCATIONAL DAY ON STRESS-FREE STOCKMANSHIP, ORGANIZED BY VETVICE IN COWSIGNALS TRAINING CENTER, THE NETHERLANDS Autrs: Alies Westerveen, Jep Driessen Date: Nvember 25 th, 2014 Speakers: Neil Chestertn, dvm: www.lamecw.c.nz Jan Hulsen, dvm, msm: Vetvice - CwSignals Alies Westerveen, V-instinct Lesley Mffat, Margreet Steendijke: Eyes n Animals 5
JAN HULSEN - INTERNATIONAL EXPERT ON COW MANAGEMENT Stress-free Stckmanship is all abut attitude and awareness. Circumstances can be changed easily, but t change behaviur is much mre difficult. Why stress-free stckmanship Lameness/ milk prductin. An Australian research shws that dcile cws (small flight distance) can reduce the percentage f lameness in a herd with 42% and can imprve the milk prductin with 1,5 litre a day. Wrk pleasure. Peple wh dn t enjy their wrk are mre ften rude and unpredictable t their cws. This results in fearful animals that can becme aggressive. Famers wh d enjy their cws are mre quiet and predictable and the cws are mre relaxed. Vicius circle. Research frm Australia shws that training f stckpersns can give a reductin f negative behaviur up t 50%. It can prevent accidents with inseminatrs. 15-20% f the farm accidents are with cattle. Understanding the cw A cw is a lng, rigid bject f 500-650 kg. She can t bend, s dn t make sharp turns in yur barn. A cw will fllw her head. S if she turns her head because she can t see yu, she will turn her bdy and her directin f mvement. The walking speed f cws is slwer than the speed f humans, s adjust t their speed. If she has t mve t quickly, the head will g up and she wn t see the grund where she is walking n. High risk f ft prblems. The eyes f cws prtrude, are at the side f the head and the pupil is rectangular: Only right in frnt f her she can see with 2 eyes and estimate the distance. At the side she can see, but nt fcus. Straight behind her, she has a blind spt. A cw can hear much better than humans, s keep yur vice dwn and dn t whistle t lud. A cw is a herd animal. The herd gives her prtectin. A cw is nt always a flight animal, when in danger a cw can als attack. Driving cws A cw has a flight zne and a pressure zne. Outside the pressure zne, she will see yu but wn t react. At the pressure zne, the cw will be alert. Cws start mving when entering the flight zne. Take a step back when she mves t reward her fr the gd reactin. 6
A cw has a balance pint arund the shulder. Appraching befre this pint will make her mves backwards. Appraching behind this pint, she will mve frward. When driving a herd with 2 peple, ne shuld be like a fench; stand still and d nthing. The ther ne is driving. Circumstances Cws are afraid f stepping dwn, walking backwards, sharp turns and slippery flrs. Be aware f the rder within the herd. The dminant cws define the walking speed f a herd. Trying t speed up the last cws desn t wrk if the dminant nes dn t mve faster. Als in the hlding pen the rder is imprtant. Cws shuld have enugh space t select their wn rder. N heads up. The hlding pen shuld never be a negative experience. Organise cw flw / infrastructure: think in flws f the herd, hw des the grup mves? The design f barn and walking paths shuld match these natural mvements. Training f cws starts with the calves. They shuld learn that humans are n danger. Yu can teach them by feeding the calves. The calves will assciate the farmer with smething psitive (feed). Every interactin with the animal is a training sessin, starting frm the day they are brn. Mst farmers learn their animals t stp, instead f hw t mve (withut knwing they d this). Bud Williams said: N matter hw gd yu are at reading the animal, the animal will always be better in reading yu. Vetvice Rule n. 1 fr effective treatments: 1 persn shuld be able t get 1 cw ready in 1 minute fr treatment and he shuld treat her first time right. S gd facilities are essential. The gates and paths shuld be right and easy fr the cw. Genetics are als imprtant n dcility f cws. 7
NEIL CHESTERTON - INTERNATIONAL EXPERT ON FOOT HEALTH/LAMENESS AND COW HERDING IN GRAZING SYSTEMS Research dne in 1989 and 2004 n the relatinship between envirnmental / behaviural factrs and lameness in dairy cws in Taraniki, New Zealand, shwed tw main causes: Cnditin f paths/rads Impatience f the farmer / handler. It turned ut that 75% f the prblems caused by the impatience f the handler, ccurred in the shed, and nly 25% n the track. This was nt because the handlers meant t be rude, but it was all ignrance. They just wanted t mve the cws quicker, t save time. But research shws that putting mre pressure n cws will slw dwn the mvement f the herd instead f speeding it up. The attitude f the handler is essential. The handler shuld like and enjy cws. Pr attitude pr behaviur twards cws fearful and difficult behaviur f cws Pr attitude because the riginal pinin f cws is cnfirmed. This is a negative feedback lp. The lp can be brken by training the handler. Research shws that lw fear levels (crtisl) in cws give better prductin (up t 16%), mre ease f handling and a better health and welfare f the cws and peple. 12 characteristics f cws 1. A cw is a prey animal. They are watching everything and see peple as a predatr, anther cw r as irrelevant. Sudden mvement mimics a predatr s will stress them. Key Remember: cws see yu as a predatr 2. Arusal. Arusal level f zer means a sleeping cw. T d things (eat/drink/mve) there has t be a certain level f arusal. But, when the level gets t high, it becmes negative (stress). Key When herding keep arusal lw. 3. Cws are visual. Cws are always watching yu. They need time t lk at things that are in the crner f their eye t get a bifcal visin. They als see mre cntrast. Give them time t explre. Key Mve slwly, dn t herd frm clse behind. 4. Ft placement. A cw need t lk where she puts her frnt leg. Her back leg will fllw in the same step. Heads up is wrng: she can t lk t the grund. Steps are easier fr cws than a slpe. Key N heads up. 8
5. Cws are fllwers. Give them rm t fllw anther cw, als in the hlding pen. Key Be patient and trust cws t fllw the ne mving in the right directin. 6. Dminance & leadership. The high dminance cws are spread thrughut the herd. 50% are in the frnt third f the herd. Key Initiate mvement but let the leaders lead. 7. Walking rder and milking rder. (Different rder!) 1,8 2 m 2 per cw necessary t allw them t change rder. Dn t frce them in the milking parlr, that will give stress. Key Cws have their wn rder. Dn t impse yur rder. 8. Cws have a wrking space / flight zne. Signs f t much pressure are: Bunch up each ther instead f fllwing, side way tuching each ther, ears back heads up, reversing mvement (ging backwards). Key Reduce pressure and wrk utside r n the edge f cw s flight zne 9. Balance pint. Pint f balance arund the shulder. Key Use the balance pint t get mvement in the directin yu require. 10. Cws learn vice signals. Cws are sensitive t high frequency and are disturbed by high vlumes, yelling, whistling. Cws have difficulty lcating sund, they will try t lcate it by visin. N radi is best, therwise nt t lud, s cws can hear ther sunds. Key Establish friendly vice calls 11. Cws recgnize peple. Prbably by psture, md, sight, smell etc. Cws have a gd sense f smell. They pass n stress by phermnes in e.g. urine. Key Give cws a gd psitive experience t cnnect with yu. 12. Cws are creatures f habits. Cws can learn difficult prcedures, but als remember fearfull experiences. Key Establish and keep rutines cnsistent. 9
LESLEY MOFFAT AND MARGREET STEENDIJKE (EYES ON ANIMALS) gave a shrt presentatin n the wrk f their NGO rganisatin which aims fr reducing animal suffering. Their fcus is n transprt and slaughter huses. They train and advise all parties invlved. They als want t make the farmers aware f what can happen with an animal when leaving their farm. Farmers can have sme influence n the wellbeing f the animals by chsing gd transprt cmpanies t wrk with (cmpanies wh abide by the law and take care f the animals in a prper way) and by nt putting animals n transprt that are nt capable f standing up in a trailer anymre. Euthanize thse animals r send them away earlier, when they still can walk. ALIES WESTERVEEN (V-INSTINCT) gave a shrt presentatin n the experiences f a prject n Stress-free Stckmanship in the Netherlands. Farmers reprt back that they are mre aware f their wn behaviur, see psitive change in cattle handling and als see and change behaviur f ther peple n their farm (like hftrimmers). Sme farmers did sme practical imprvements which wrked ut psitively. S in just a shrt prject f 1 year, gd prgress is pssible. 10