Restraint

Cattle are large animals that can behave unpredictably, especially when they are not used to being handled. It is important to always bear this in mind, and to take all possible precautions to ensure your safety and the safety of those working with you. Appropriate restraint of the animal is central to this.

Crush

What facilities are available to you on the farm? Is there are crush that you can use to safely restrain the animal? Look for the following:

What is the access like? Are there doors that open up so that you can safely examine the animal without being trapped inside the crush with it?

Is the headgate appropriate for the size of animal that you are working with? Is the width of the headgate adjustable?more information

What condition is the crush in? Are there broken restraint mechanisms or is some of the metalwork rusty?

Are there appropriate restraints for feet if you have been asked to examine them? A poorly maintained or badly equipped foot crush is potentially dangerous - if you don't think the equipment is up to the job, tell the farmer that you can't safely examine the feet!

Rope restraints

There are several rope restraint techniques that may help you to safely examine animals.

Is a halter available? Even if the animal is in a crush, tying the animal's head to the side will give you easier and safer access to the jugular groove. Consider carrying your own halter around in your car - you can even make your own. Learn how to put a halter on correctly - farmers enjoy pointing out to a vet that a halter is on upside down so don't give them the satisfaction!

Can you use a rope to restrain a limb either to help give you access to scan or auscultate the heart, or perhaps to prevent the animal kicking you?

Always remember to either get somebody to hold the free end of the rope or tie the end using a quick release knot - if the animal goes down in the crush you will want to be able to release the knot (which may now be under tension) quickly!

Preventing kicking

There are several techniques which may be useful to prevent the animal kicking you (usually with the hind limbs):

The most common method used to prevent kicking is lifting the tail. Bending the tail and holding it sideways may discourage a mild kicker, but lifting the tail straight up is more likely to be effective for more painful procedures. This can be painful for the animal, and requires effort and concentration on the part of the assistant holding the tail!

It is possible to tie the back legs together using a 'hobble' to prevent kicking to an extent. However, it may be difficult to remove the hobbles if the animal goes down for some reason.

Tying a rope around the animal with the rope passing over the transverse processes of the sacrum can be a very effective way of discouraging kicking, and does not require an assistant so is useful for lengthy procedures such as stripping out a mastitic quarter. Remember to tie off the loose end of the rope using a quick release knot.

Remember that cows tend to kick with ther hindlimbs forward - so if you are standing next to her hind quarters she might decide to kick. It is more difficult for a cow to kick behind her - but by no means impossible, so don't assume you are safe when behind the animal

Appropriate restraint

With all restraint techniques it is crucial to ensure that the restraint is appropriate to the size and temperament of the animal you are dealing with - you would not examine a fractious bull without a very solid crush, but it is also not acceptable to force up the tail of a quiet animal 'just in case'. Small calves may best be restrained in lateral recumbancy rather than standing - this is usually quite well tolerated. You will also need to make sure the restraint is appropriate for the technique you are performing - non-invasive procedures such as auscultation of the rumen are more likely to be tolerated than procedures such as collecting blood, rectal examinations or opening the mouth. If you are planning to do something potentially painful, think about how the animal is likely to react.