Restraint within the cattle crush
Once a cow is within the crush there are many additional means of restraint which can be used to enhance operator and animal safety. Some of these may be additional features of the crush, others may require ropes or other appliances.
Additional crush restraints:
Other methods of restraint include nose pliers and halters, a tail jack may also be used to immobilise the rear end of the cow, and a physical head restraint can also be useful for examining inside the mouth of a cow.
Physically restraining a cow’s head:
Additional crush restraints:
- Squeeze mechanism: this is useful on younger and smaller animals who cannot be properly trapped in the head bails. The squeeze mechanism is controlled by an external lever and works by narrowing the side walls of the crush, “squeezing” the animal inside. This is useful on smaller animals in preventing them from turning around whilst in the crush.
- Chin bar: this is used to prevent the cow from moving its head, hence is useful when examining or performing operations on the head, such as ear tagging or eye examinations. This is a quick method of head restraint that is safe to perform on aggressive cows as it can be done remotely. The chin bar is simply attached at the front of the crush and controlled by lever with a squeeze-release mechanism. It is pushed up under the animals chin forcing them to keep their head high and hence preventing side to side movements.
Other methods of restraint include nose pliers and halters, a tail jack may also be used to immobilise the rear end of the cow, and a physical head restraint can also be useful for examining inside the mouth of a cow.
Physically restraining a cow’s head:
- Stand with your back resting against a sturdy post, or the crush, to one side of the animal at the front of the crush. Ensure you are in a safe position where, if you were to be thrown backwards or forwards, you would not be injured.
- Grab the head by running the hand closest the cow over its nose and hooking this into the mouth, in the gap between the incisors and molars.
- Pull the cows head across your body and tightly restrain it in that position.
- Hint: it is important to be strong and forceful in your actions so the cow is given no opportunity to fight you. If the cow begins to throw itself around and you are being flung, release it immediately for your own safety – you cannot win against the force supplied by 400kg!
- Note: in this restrained position is it possible for another person to examine the animals teeth and tongue if necessary.
Applying nose pliers:
Nose pliers are useful for mouth examinations of cattle. It is important these are NEVER tied off, as a spooked or aggravated cow will easily rip through their nostril trying to get free.
Nose pliers are useful for mouth examinations of cattle. It is important these are NEVER tied off, as a spooked or aggravated cow will easily rip through their nostril trying to get free.
- Stand in the same position as for physical head restraint
- Begin by running your cow-side hand over the bridge of its nose and anchoring in its mouth.
- With the other hand, insert the nose pliers into the far nostril.
- As the cow moves its head towards you (away from the discomfort in the other nostril) hook in the other side of the pliers and squeeze to close.
- Restrain the cows head as before and remove the pliers as inserted, far nostril before near.
Fitting a halter:
A halter allows the cows head to be completely tied up and immobilised. This is particularly useful to examine eyes.
A halter allows the cows head to be completely tied up and immobilised. This is particularly useful to examine eyes.
- Stand to the side of the cow and place the large loop of the halter over the ears of the cow so the nose band is sitting over the bridge of the nose.
- Tighten this large loop, and simultaneously the nose loop, by pulling and further lengthening the long extension of rope.
- When the halter is fitted and tight, wrap the long rope extension back under the chin and over the nose of the cow, looping it through the halter.
- Wrap the rope length once around the vertical support post of the crush, going around the outside of the pole (not thorugh the gap between pole and crush) and use this to pull the cows head around to the side – you are not strong enough to pull the cow in tightly enough without this leverage.
- Utilise the horizontal bars for further pulling if necessary and tie off the rope with a quick release knot.
- Release the not and pull the rope out, take great care that fingers are not trapped between the rope and any posts.
- Un-thread the extra loop from the halter of the cow, again taking care to not put fingers between the rope and the cow.
- Loosen the halter by feeding rope back into it, then lift it off over the ears and let it slide off the nose.
Tail jack:
This is a restraint to immobilise the rear end of the cow to allow urine sample collection or udder examinations. Care must always be taken when working behind a cow, it is good habit to tap the rear of the cow on the side opposite to that which you are standing to alert them that you are there in a way which will minimise your risk of being kicked.
This is a restraint to immobilise the rear end of the cow to allow urine sample collection or udder examinations. Care must always be taken when working behind a cow, it is good habit to tap the rear of the cow on the side opposite to that which you are standing to alert them that you are there in a way which will minimise your risk of being kicked.
- Stand behind the cow side on to limit your body area open to be kicked
- Grab the tail approximately 30cm from the base and raise it up slowly – this will require a certain amount of force.
- Apply pressure forward on the tail once it has been raised to its maximum to ensure it stays “jacked”.