Beef Cattle Handling Facilities

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Good cattle handling facilities are necessary for all cattle operations, regardless of the number of cattle. Cattle handling facilities are used to restrain individual animals during management practices such as vaccinations, health treatments, and pregnancy diagnosis. Good facilities also help cattle handlers collect performance data, which is critical to herd genetic improvement and marketing efforts. This publication guides producers and handlers through the purposes, components, design considerations, construction, and maintenance of cattle handling facilities. It discusses important elements such as catch pens, lane systems, crowding pens, alleys, squeeze chutes, palpation cages, sorting pens, flooring, loading ramps, utilities, and safety features. Facility efficiency should be balanced with cost and safety, and proper preparation and inspection of the facilities before use is emphasized. For more detailed guidance, the publication includes tables of size and space requirements by cattle weight and addresses best practices in management.

You can also contact state Extension specialists or your local Extension office for answers to specific questions.

The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding that no endorsement is implied and that no discrimination against other products or suppliers is intended.

Publication 2787 (POD-08-25)

Revised by Brandi B. Karisch, PhD, Associate Extension/Research Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences; from an earlier version by Jane A. Parish, PhD, Professor and Head, North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, and Rhonda C. Vann, PhD, Research Professor, Animal and Dairy Sciences.