When should solid sides be put on cattle handling facilities?

by Temple Grandin

There is much controversy between cattle handling specialists on the use of solid fences on feedlot processing facilities and loading ramps. Some advocates of low stress handling dislike solid fences because they prevent the cattle from responding to the movements of a handler on the ground.

Cattle have a natural instinct to look and see where the handler is located. In places with unskilled people and lots of distractions around the facilities such as passing vehicles, pen riders, and people, solid sides will usually improve cattle movement. If a chute or crowd pen has open sides, handlers MUST stay outside the animal’s flight zone except when it is time to move the animals.

If the handler continually stands inside the flight zone the cattle will become agitated. The advantage of a solid side is that the cattle will remain calm even when people stand in the wrong places. Below are some tips:

1. Solid sides are recommended if people are unskilled.

2. The most important parts of the facility to cover is the outside perimeter. This can be achieved with either solid fences or a building with solid sides.

3. Many existing prefab cattle processing chutes have a low 4 ft. solid side on the curved single file chute. These facilities work really well in many feedlots because a handler can walk around on the ground and the cattle can still see him. Even a low solid side helps keep cattle calmer if they get too close.

4. The crowd gate should be solid to help prevent cattle from pushing it back.

5. Solid sides are especially recommended at busy truck loading ramps with many passing vehicles or people walking by the fence.