Managing for Profit

Less stress on cattle adds to bottom line

The way that cattle are handled determines how they feel and how they perform.  That can add to the producer’s bottom line, according to Ron Gill, from the Animal Science Department at Texas A&M University.  It’s good to know how cattle want producers to communicate with them, Gill told Brownfield Ag News, before demonstrating the technique on a pen of calves at the Western Farm Show in Kansas City Saturday.

One of the most common mistakes producers make in handling cattle, said Gill, is acting on the belief that if the animals are left alone, they’ll calm down.  That, he said, is not the case.  Proper handling has an impact on a producer’s bottom line.  Considering the price of cattle, any sickness or death loss is devastating, said Gill.

AUDIO: Ron Gill (3 min. MP3)