Livestock Safety
CBS Roscommon
Types of accidents involving livestock
Physical Accidents
Kicked
Bitten
Knocked over
Charged
Crushed
Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted between
humans and animals
They can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi.
Zoonotic Disease: Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease.
In cattle this infection causes abortion and infertility.
Symptoms in humans
Symptoms are variable and non-specific
Chills, sweats, fatigue and weakness
Zoonotic Disease: Brucellosis
Prevention
Observing animals
Legal requirement that farmers must notify their local District Veterinary
Office if they suspect that an animal has aborted.
Isolation of animal and disposal of any infected animals
Make sure any milk for human consumption is pasteurised;
Take care when handling and disposing of placenta, discharges and
foetus from an aborted animals
Disinfect contaminated areas
Zoonotic diseases: Ecoli 0157
E.coli O157 are bacteria that are found in the gut of some animals.
Cattle are the main source
Humans can be infected by contact with animals and their dung or
droppings.
Symptoms
Severe diarrhoea may develop especially in children under five
Zoonotic diseases: Ecoli 0157
Preventing infection
Keep animals with diarrhoea away from other animals and visitors
Good farmyard Hygiene
Ensure hand-washing facilities are available and clean
Work clothes should be left at the workplace
Zoonotic Disease: Leptosporosis
Leptospirosis
is a bacterial infection.
Humans can becomes infected through direct or indirect contact with
infected animal urine or contaminated milk.
The most common host is cattle resulting in the milder form of the disease,
the more severe form is associated with rats.
The bacteria can enter through cuts, the eyes, nose or mouth.
Symptoms
Range
from a mild influenza-like illness to meningitis or kidney failure.
In those cases where jaundice occurs, the illness is known as Weils disease.
Zoonotic Disease: Leptosporosis
Prevention
Segregate infected animals
Recognise potentially contaminated waters and soil
Check the status of your cattle by doing a blood test, antibiotic
treatment and vaccination should be administered to infected animals
Control rodents
Ensure there is clean hand-washing facilities
Zoonotic disease: Orf
Orf is caused by a virus
It is transmitted to humans by direct contact with infected sheep and
goats
Symptoms
Skin lesion on the hands, arms or face and can be itchy and painful.
Secondary bacterial infection
Zoonotic disease: Orf
Prevention
Good farmyard hygiene
Vaccination
Ensure hand-washing facilities are available and clean
Wash any known exposed area with soap and water
Zoonotic Disease: Ringworm
Ringworm is caused by a fungal infection
The fungal spores enter the skin through cuts and abrasions.
Symptoms
Flat ring shape skin lesion
Zoonotic Disease: Ringworm
Prevention
Good farm hygiene
Treat infected animals
Ensure good handwashing facilities
Physical Injuries
Factors that can cause aggressiveness
Genetics
Past experiences
Cattle that have been roughly handled in the past can be more dangerous
Separation from their normal herd
Being cornered, isolated, confined in a crush or being milked for the first
time.
Cows on-heat or after calving are generally unpredictable.
Bulls that see you as his competitor.
Avoiding problems
Cull aggressive animals
Breed out aggressive behaviour
Avoid breeding from a dangerous bull
Dont use the offspring of temperamental or dangerous
cattle as herd replacements
Avoiding problems
Know the dangers associated with the animals sex
Bulls
Temperament
changes from playful aggression as a yearling to
defensive, territorial aggression as a 2-3 year old.
All
bulls should be ringed in the nose when 10 months old
At
least two people should be available when handling a bull.
Avoiding problems
Know the dangers associated with the animals sex
Cows
Cows
and heifers are more unpredictable during stressful
periods such as calving, weaning and at their first milking.
Suckler
cows which are handled less frequently generally are a
greater risk than dairy cows.
Avoiding problems
Know how cattle respond
The best place for the stock handler to work is on the edge of the flight zone
To make the animal move forward the handler moves to A just inside the flight
zone.
By moving back to B, just outside the flight zone boundary, the handler
encourages the animal to stop again.
Avoiding problems
Know how cattle respond
The Point of Balance is at the animals shoulders
To encourage the animals to move forward the handler must be behind the point of
balance.
Avoiding problems
Know the dangers associated with the animals age
Young cattle lack experience and until a routine is developed can be more
unpredictable. The more they are handled then the more accustomed they become
to being handled.
Old cattle can get very stubborn, meaning they dont like changes in routine.
Know the dangers with the animals breed
Dairy breeds are generally very docile.
Jersey bulls are highly territorial and are very dangerous.
The Limousin was known as being more flighty than other continental breeds but
some of this effect has been successfully bred out.
Avoiding problems
Know how to recognise behaviours
Seriously distressed cattle often bellow loudly
The head position tells just how contented they feel
1 Neutral position
2 Slightly antagonistic position
3 Highly antagonistic position
4 Confident approach
5 Submissive approach
6 Alert before flight position
Avoiding problems
Know how to recognise behaviours
The tail position also says much about their state of arousal:
1 Grazing or walking
2 Cold, ill or frightened
3 Threatening, curiosity or sexual excitement
4 Galloping
5 Kicking or playing
Handling and Housing Facilities
Keep the yard clean and tidy
Avoid having slippery surfaces
Power wash surfaces to increase grip
Groove concrete
Ensure yards are a suitable size and have a good layout
A good yard should have a collecting pen, race, forcing pen, raised
catwalk alongside the race, crush, skulling gate and dispersal pen
The layout should always ensure there is always an escape route for the
handler.
The yard area must be larger by about 50% than the area occupied by the
cattle.
Handling and Housing Facilities
Handling and Housing Facilities
Adequate calving area
The calving area should provide adequate space, be tidy and well-bedded with
clean dry straw, free of obstructions with good lighting.
Well designed calving pens and gates minimise the direct physical contact between
the cow/heifer and the farmer.
Other desirable features would include areas to perform Caesarean sections and for
the suckling of newborn calves.
Calving jacks if properly used can reduce the risk of back injuries.
Handling and Housing Facilities
Good wintering housing
Adequate space
Be well-bedded
Free of ground obstructions
Strong enough to contain the animal
Have access to a race and crush
Have sufficient lighting
Be well ventilated
Cattle of broadly similar age and size should be grouped together
Handling and Housing Facilities
Bull Housing
The bull pen should be located so
that the bull(s) can see other
cattle and daily farm activity in
the farmyard.
The structure must be strong and
high enough to stop them
escaping.
The pen should allow the bull to
be fed and watered from outside
the pen
Avoid the following to stay safe
Disbud calves early to prevent horn growth.
Watch for warning signs of animal aggressiveness, especially bulls and
newly calved cows.
Cull difficult cattle as soon as possible.
Use well designed facilities.
Regularly check and maintain facilities such as the crush, gate latches
and fences.
Keep ground surfaces clean, as far as possible.
Only have a well trained quiet dog when moving cattle
Avoid the following to stay safe
Work out an escape route in advance of working with cattle.
Know and understand the basics of cattle behaviour.
Maximise the use of Artificial Insemination to reduce the number of
bulls required.
Use bulls that produce docile offspring.
Be extra careful around cows with new born calves.
Try to keep cattle calm when handling them.
Use a stick to assist in directing cattle.
