Producer outlines differences between cattle handling facilities

The ultimate goal when working cattle is to make it easy for the crew and on the animals. 

There are many corral designs, and some of the most popular in recent years have been Temple Grandin’s curved chutes and tubs and Bud Williams’ Bud Box.  

Many ranchers spend a lot of money installing elaborate working facilities in hopes their designs will solve problems which often arise when a crew is working cattle, but they tend to forget the most important thing is the way cattle are handled – any facility is only as good as the people who use it.  

Good stockmanship and low-stress handling are key – including knowing how to put cattle through a facility, understanding cattle behavior and using body position to direct movement in the proper direction.

Bud Boxes

Guy Glosson, a rancher near Snyder, Texas, has used many different facilities over the years.  

“I met Williams 35 years ago. He came to the ranch and stayed with us for a couple of months and tried to teach me what he knew,” shared Glosson.

The Bud Box makes things simple, especially if a person understands how to properly pressure cattle and make them think it’s their own idea to go the right way.  

It’s a simple rectangular design. Cattle enter through a gate, come to the end of the box, turn around and head back the way they came. 

The person who opened the gate merely moves a couple of steps so the cattle want to go past him or her and into the adjacent exit, which puts them on the scale, in the squeeze chute or onto a truck or trailer.  

Cattle move of their own accord, rather than being pushed.

“A Bud Box works well because it is based on the principle of how to handle cattle. Cows know humans are a ‘predator,’ and they want to keep their eyes on us all the time,” Glosson explained. 

“If a person gets behind them, they want to turn around and look, which defeats the purpose when trying to move them,” he continued, noting people need to be trained to do this properly. 

Another advantage of the Bud Box is portability, meaning ranchers are able to take it anywhere – from big pastures to the main corral. They can also augment any set of corrals with a Bud Box. 

Tub systems

Tub systems – especially the curved, solid-sided chutes – and the Bud Box represent two different views of handling cattle.  

“I met Grandin the same day I met Williams. I later talked with her several times.  I think she designed her systems to keep people away from cattle,” Glosson noted. 

On big ranches where cattle run on large pastures and rarely see people, they tend to react adversely when confronted with humans.  

“In those situations, I think it is important to keep people away from the cattle for two reasons,” Glosson said. “Most of the managers of large ranches, feedlots or dairies do not think it’s necessary to teach their employees how to handle cows. Secondly, they don’t think about stress. Cattle are prey animals and are very easily stressed by anything causing them fear or suspicion.”

“If the wrong person walks into a corral full of cattle, animals become nervous and flighty,” he added.

Even cattle that have been around humans are on alert when someone strides up to them too quickly and purposefully. But, when approached in a more leisurely manner, they remain calm and relaxed.  

Cattle read humans well, just like they would a predator. 

They instantly know the difference between predators wandering through the countryside versus one looking for dinner. This is how they have been able to survive for thousands of years. 

“In this regard, Grandin’s work has been vitally important – protecting cattle from the humans,” Glosson said.  

Good stockmanship

“Regardless of what facility one builds, the people handling cattle still need to be trained,” he added.

When handling cattle it’s best to utilize good stockmanship techniques to encourage cattle to understand what a person wants them to do. 

How cattle handle in the corral is a reflection of how they were handled outside. If they were brought in quietly and calmly, they stay relaxed and easy to handle in the corral. But if they were rammed and jammed while being gathered, their adrenalin will be at a high level, and they’ll be constantly looking for a way out once they get in there.

Cattle are smart and as “trainable” as horses. The same principles apply – one must give them a chance to think. If they don’t, it will be flight or fight instead.  

“Grandin deserves a lot of credit for her work, and so does Williams,” Glosson mentioned. “They both helped change the cattle industry for the better. Many cattle today are easier to handle than the animals we used to have to deal with.”

Heather Smith Thomas is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.