As a cattle rancher, Joshua Dale Olson needs to understand everything that he must do in order to keep his cattle in good condition, as this ensures that he is able to ask larger prices when selling them. This means that he must avoid the cattle handling errors that many inexperienced ranchers make, which include all of the below.
Overcrowding Your Pens
Your pens and chutes are going to prove crucial if you are going to ensure your cattle go where you need them to go as efficiently as possible. Your pens should not be filled above the halfway mark, as this restricts cattle movement and makes it harder to guide them towards chutes. You should also limit the amount of time that the cattle spend in the pen, as they will become more reluctant to enter your squeeze chutes after a while.
Keeping It Dark
Make sure that all of your facilities have plenty of access to natural daylight by installing skylights and big windows wherever possible. Many ranchers make the mistake of not investing in this area and end up finding it much more difficult to herd their cattle because cows are very sensitive to light and dark, generally avoiding dim areas when they can.
Using Electric Prods
While Joshua Dale Olson notes that electric prods can be useful disciplinary tools, overusing them will make your cows timid and have a direct effect on their wellbeing. Use other methods, such as sticks and streamers, to get cows moving and never prod a cow that is in an enclosed space.
