Designing and Building Better Stockyards · Jackarooing on large corporate cattle station with 6500...

Bill ThomasStockyard Designer

Experience Includes;• Jackarooing on large private mixed enterprise farm including 25,000 sheep and 800 head of cattle• Jackarooing on large corporate cattle station with 6500 breeding cows •Ag Commerce degree

Designing and Building Better Stockyards

Designed to work built to last …

• Managing sheep and cattle business with 3500 sheep and 600 breeding cows

• 16 years of designing and building animal handling facilities across Australia

ProWay Livestock Equipment’s core business is design, manufacture and installation of livestock handling facilities.

ProWay Livestock Equipment


ProWay has;• 5 stockyard designers• 5 C.A.D draughtsman• 40 workshop and delivery staff• In house construction crew members• 12 Regionally based construction crews

We have done work in every state and territory and some overseas

CattleyardsOur Products Include


Sheepyards


Loading Ramps/Unloading Ramps


Feedlots


Saleyards


Abattoir Stock Handling Facilities


Animal Behaviour and the impact on Yard Design

• By taking advantage of natural behavior of livestock we can design yards and handling facilities that work in our favor•Always let livestock think they are “escaping”•Make use of circling and milling behavior•Don’t make the stock run towards threatening and foreign things•Avoid “dead ends”


Livestock Movement Principles


Mobbing Behavior • Cattle/sheep find safety within a

group and when frightened, will mob together.

• When separated from the mob, a solo disturbed beast will run towards the mob irrespective of the position of the handler.

• The natural circling instinct is thought to be associated with the need to keep visual contact with other animals in the mob.

• When unfamiliar mobs are mixed, they can keep in their own groups for weeks before integrating.


Livestock Movement PrinciplesVision Analysis

• The latest research on colour vision in farm animals shows that they are dichromats with colour sensitive cells, particularly to yellowish-green and blue/purple light.

• Dichromatic vision makes the animal more sensitive to seeing sudden movement.

• Grazing animals have a visual system that provides excellent distance vision but relatively weak eye muscles inhibit their ability to focus quickly on nearby objects.


Livestock Movement PrinciplesDepth Perception

• Because of the location of the eyes, cattle and sheep have poor depth

perception.Their ability to perceive depth at ground level while their heads are up is reduced and have a wide blind area beneath them.

To see depth on the ground, the animal would have to stop and lower its head. This may explain why livestock often lower their heads and stop to look at strange things on the ground.

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Livestock Movement PrinciplesVisual Field of Cattle

• Grazing animals are relative defenseless and so must remain vigilant against “predators”• They have good vision in paddock

conditions and can see predators from over 500m away.

• With eyes on the side of their head they have a wide field of vision, averaging 270°, however are blind to the 90° behind the body and will turn to look at oncoming “predators”

Other Factors include:• Change in colour and lighting will

often spook cattle and make it difficult to move mobs. This is definitely evident in closed environments where light coming through the floor makes stock hesitant to flow.

• Advancing stock must not be able to see others behind them, that is:

• stock flow better if rear vision is restricted.

• Light up ahead can often be used to draw animals through the working area.

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Livestock Movement Principles



Livestock Movement PrinciplesOther Factors include:

• Following livestock must be able to see the other cattle ahead even if it is disappearing around a corner.• Livestock run better around curved

corners• Livestock flow better through yards if the same paths are followed and the

same flow directions are maintained.

45° 60°


Livestock Movement PrinciplesMoving cattle by positioning your body


Cattle Movement PrinciplesAdapting these principals in our designs


Good or Bad Design?

Good Design• Allows for Laminar (Streamline) Flow. Where the stock are encouraged to move fluently through the race.



Bad Design• Race is bent too sharply• Confuses stock and

induces turbulent movement.

• This can result in bruising and stress to the stock.



Cattle Force and Race Design


Cattle Design Principle


Cattle Design Principle


Entry to single file race do’s and don’ts

Cattle Design Example


Teys Cargill Wagga Wagga NSW

• They can ruin a well designed facility because animals will baulk, refuse to move or turn back.

Distractions

• It is critical to minimise or eliminatedistractions in order to promote healthystock flow.


Distractions


Why is it important to have good animal handling facilities?• Operator safety• Increase labour efficiency• Increase workplace happiness• Reduce injury to stock• Reduce stress on animals• Help keep stock up to the plant• Less chance of public backlash (possible closure)


Benefits of well designed facilities

• Reduced carcass yield from bruising• Bruising costs the Australian beef industry over $30 million each year –

equivalent to $4 for every beast slaughtered.• The single major cause of bruising and hide damage is the presence of

horns• Handling facilities also play a major role with bruising in yard design and

the materials used to build them

The Illustration shows a lamb that has had rough handling


The costs of poorly designed facilities:Bruising

• Animals have energy contained in their muscles in the form of glycogen

• When animals die, the glycogen is converted to lactic acid that causes the pH level to fall (glycosis)

• If there isn’t enough lactic acid produced the pH remains high resulting in dark cutting meat

• Poor handling and stress can cause the concentration of glycogen to fall below a threshold that in turn causes dark cutting.

• Dark cutting meat has a reduced shelf life, less tender and with consumers more likely to reject it on the basis of appearance

• Dark cutting meat is estimated to cost the red meat industry around $36 million per year. (MLA)

Illustration of scotch fillet (No prizes for guessing the dark cut)


The costs of poorly designed facilities:Glycogen Deficiency

Boosting efficiency with:Points to Consider:• Gate follows cattle around rolled

panels reducing area which encourages cattle to enter the race.

• Padded brake drags around rolled panels and locks in position.

• Braced overhead for strength and durability.

• Sheeted panels aid stock movement and operator safety.

• Separates the handler and stock in the forcing pen, therefore eliminating the risk of injury.

• The gate need hinges with grease nipples

Rotary Force Yard


Rotary Force Yard (cont)


Boosting efficiency with:Points to Consider:• Takes advantages of stocks

tendency to want to go around• Fully sheet the outside but let the

stock see through the inside• Sheet the inside if there are

distractions• If the race is “V” (tapered race)

the release gate are needed to get up turned stock back on their feet

• Sliding gates or anti backers can be used to keep stock pushed up

• Wait until the race is nearly empty before attempting to fill it.

Curved Single file race


Boosting efficiency with:Points to Consider:• Well designed unloading ramps

need a thought.• Heavy duty construction for safety

and longevity.• Sheeted panels encourage flow

making stock focus on the exit and eliminates distraction.

• Quick easy access in and around ramp.

• Level extensions to improve cattle flow and operator access

• Non-slip walkways and handrails• Swivel buffer that aligns to the

truck to prevent gaps when loading• Steps.• Sliding Gates

Loading Ramps and Dumps


Under and Over Unloading Dump


Points to Consider:• Unloading ramps can be as wide

or wider than the back gate of the truck

• Adjustable ramps need safety mechanisms to stop the risk of the ramp falling

• Consider the base of the unloading ramp and are the stock running towards “friendly” space

• Non slip flooring

Unloading Ramps and Dumps (cont.)


Boosting efficiency with:Points to Consider:•

• Remote controlled block gates in race.

• Gates pivot on a central axis from open to closed in one motion.

• Industrial grade pneumatics for longevity.

• Operated with control box and compressor that can be set up for other pneumatic processes

• Safely stop cattle in the working race without any risk to handlers.

• Able to operate gates from anywhere in the yards so avoids spooking cattle as with conventional sliding gates.

Pneumatic Rotary Block Gate


Boosting efficiency:Points to Consider:•

• Stock will gravitate from darker areas to lighter areas (but not blinding light)

• Make sure light does not cast shadows• If there is a cover over the race, force or

yards- do not allow the shadows to caste at the transition zones.

• Consider the sun and will it interfere with stock walking directly into it

• Unload to the south if possible, then north and take your pick east or west after this.

• Have the stock running towards light (openness ) at the throat of the single file race to help draw them.

• Knock box must me sufficiently lit up• Stopping light from getting under grated

floors

By Controlling the light


Boosting efficiency:Points to Consider:•

• Stock get freighted and stressed by noise

• When stock become frightened they are less controllable

• Think about what is making unnecessary noise and how it can be silenced?

• Pipe exhausted air from air gates further away

• Remove chains that continue to bang against steel.

• Use rubber stoppers to reduce impact on gates

• Get operators to only make as much noise as needed so animals know the position of the operator.

By Controlling the noise



• Stock become lame if they stand on hard surfaces for long intervals.

• This stress contributes to dark cutting carcasses

• Holding yards should have a soft floor.

• Lead-up lanes, forces and races are acceptable to be hard not slip surface.

• Woodchip/sawdust and rubber retro fitted over concrete is good practice

Having the right flooring


Having the right flooring (cont.)



• Elevate operator to a safe, comfortable working height above stock.

• By following the walkway around the force yards and race the operator is able to encourage stock flow from a more commanding position.

• Used so that the operator is not in the yard with cattle and can move stock with a flag or paddle

Elevated Walkways



• Provide weather protection to operators, stock and yards to increase efficiency, productivity and longevity of stockyards.

Undercover Work Areas



• Have a block gate one beast back from knock box .

• Elevated walkway• Sheeted sides to reduce

distractions• Get operators out of direct view of

the stock heading towards them• Limit noise• Be quick with the block gate so

that it doesn’t shut on the next animal

Getting stock into knock box



• Good for continuous, quick restraint of sheep and other smaller animals

• To keep animals coming consistently make the transition from single file race into to V belt as seamless as possible

• Get operators out of direct view stock moving forwards

• Make the floor look solid to walk on until the sides take over

• Keep heights and surfaces similar.

• Curved V belts work well

Using V Belts


Not Boosting efficiency with:

Points to Consider:•

• Get operators out of direct view of on coming stock

• Don’t let blokes stand in the wrong spot for a chat

Bad set up



• Head restrainers are used to hold the head before stunning

• It is much easier for the operator to be accurate when they are used

• Be wary that head restrainer is too tight around the beast’s head

• Bellowing animals stress the following stock

• Adjust for different classes of stock

Using Head Restrainers


Boosting efficiency with:

Points to Consider for unloading livestock off trucks•

• Truck unloading platform• Harness and fall arresters.• Good lighting• Plenty of room to turn• Try to get truck circling in an anti-

clockwise direction

Innovation and thinking ahead



• Use anti bruise materials for posts and rails.

• Use materials stock can see (not mesh)

• Use galvanised materials wherever possible

• Brace gates overhead• Use quality hardware

(hinges/latches)• Remember “Poor Man Pays

Twice”

The use of good materials


Product Options:Points to Consider:•

• Cattle sections can be made from five 97 x 42mm cattleyard rails and stand at 1.75m.

• Other rail options include 120Cattle Rail, 50NB pipe, 32NB pipe and cable yards.

• The size of posts need to be suited to the type of stock.

• 80nb Pipe to 100nb pipe posts are sufficient

Cattle rail and Pipe options


The concrete needs to be mounded up around the posts to reduce rusting off with sediment and say urine pooling at the base of the posts

Any area on the slab that will experience ‘cattle traffic’ needs to be stenciled to provide grip so cattle don’t slip

It costs the same amount to build a poorly designedfacility, as it does to build a well designed facility.

The well designed facility will:• Have lower labour requirements• Minimise OH&S issues and injuries• Result in less bruising and stress on livestock.


Designing and Building Better Stockyards · Jackarooing on large corporate cattle station with 6500...

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