In today’s beef buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays features comments with Dr. Ron Gill, extension livestock specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, to discuss the importance of low-stress livestock handling—particularly when it comes to transportation. As Gill explained, “These are very valuable animals, especially given current cattle prices, and we need to take care of them.” He reminded producers that cattle often experience multiple rounds of transport over their lifetime, and each move can trigger health challenges. “Particularly on young cattle, their greatest risk of respiratory disease follows transportation,” he said, adding that factors like commingling and diet changes compound the stress. “It’s going to be stressful—we just have to limit the stress as much as we can.”
Gill emphasized that cow-calf producers should start by inspecting their facilities well before shipping day. “We may not use our load-out facilities but once or twice a year,” he noted. “So we really need to make sure they’re in good repair—make a trip through them, see if you see anything protruding that would cause injury to cattle, or make sure the gates work and swing easily and latch properly.” He also urged producers to plan around the weather when possible. “If you know there’s a cold front coming or excessive heat, can you schedule around that? Schedule it where it would not be as stressful on the cattle.”
Beyond facilities, Gill reminded producers to pay close attention to their trailers and equipment before loading. “Make sure you check it out before you start loading those cattle—just a thorough pre-trip inspection on all the hitches and latches,” he advised. “I’ve seen trailers show up to load cattle, and the spring shackles be broken on them, hangers be broken, bolts missing.” Neglecting such details, he warned, could turn a routine haul into a serious problem. “All of those things are important—you can’t ignore them or assume they’re going to get better.”
Timing also plays a key role in keeping cattle calm and minimizing weight loss. Gill said producers should avoid last-minute sorting and handling. “Make sure you have your cattle where they can be gathered easily the day of shipment,” he said. “Personally, I don’t want to do anything other than load cattle the day the trucks show up.” He suggested sorting a week to ten days ahead of time so that on shipping day, “they’re just going to go straight on the trucks.” Doing this, he added, “reduces shrink on those cattle.”
Gill also underscored the importance of calm handling during loading. “We have to make sure that we get those cattle on the trailer as quiet as possible,” he said. Rushing cattle creates unnecessary agitation, which can make the trip unsafe. “They don’t settle within the trailer, and so they’re always moving,” he warned. “That makes the trip more unsafe, because the cattle are shifting and moving in a semi truck.” By keeping animals calm and collected, Gill said, producers can ensure a safer, smoother trip and protect the health and value of their herd.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
