Restraining the head, neck and legs of animals

The head is the first and most important area to restrain as it can seriously injure the handler when it is violently tosset about. The animal is much more likely to be still with its head restrained. The heads of cattle and buffaloes may be restrained by:

• A self-locking neck clamp in the feeding passage
• Haltering
• Tying the neck to a fixture such as a stanchion or neck chain
• Clamping the neck in a yoke or stanchion, and either holding the head down with a nose bar and tying it up with a halter or putting pressure on the nasal septum

The crush can be used to restrain the necks of animals, including cattle and buffalo.

The hind legs can be tied together (hobbled), but this technique should be used only in an emergency. The handler is in danger while hobbling a kicking beast. Cattle can become highly agitated during or after application of devices such as the crush, so constant supervision during the operation is essential.

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Restraining animals: Devices - 1

Halters: Halters are one of the simplest controlling devices for horses, cattle and buffalo. To make a halter, lay about 3 m of rope on the floor. At about 1 , from the left hand end, untwist the strands sufficiently to enable the right hand end to be passed through it to make a loop of about 2.5 cm in diameter. Lay the rope down as before. Close to the loop, untwist some strands again on the right hand side, and pass the left end through it. Pull up tight and bind the splice thus made with a few turns of string. To form a poll-piece, untwist the strands of the right hand length, about 25 cm from the loof already made, and pass the left hand end through it.

Make an overhand knot to fix. Bind on either side with string. Now pass the long right hand end through the spliced loop first made. This forms the nose-band. The halter is now complete. The knot in the poll-piece can be adjusted to fit the head of different animals.

To halter a horse, first slip the rope or shank of the halter around its neck by holding the forelock or resting the right hand on the neck just behind the ears. Then slip it over the horse's ears. The halter should be prevented from becoming too tight by putting a hitch or cinch in the shank as it leaves the nose-band. Placing the halter on the animals correctly should be practised until it becomes second nature. An incorrectly placed halter may be too loose to hold the horse, or may irritate it to the point where it becomes unmanageable.

Head Collars: Effective devices for controlling animals, head collars are used mostly with horses, but may also be used with cattle and buffalo. The head collar consists of a poll-piece, two cheek pieces, a nose band, a throat-piece, and a jowl-piece. Today, nylon head collars are increasingly being used because they are cheap, easy to clean, and durable.

A head collar is a very effective means for securing a horse in a stable or stall. A neck strap or neck rope is often used in the stable, but whether it is a halter or a neck tie, the shank in each case is put through a ring or hole in the manger, with the end attached to a metal or wooden "sinker" to prevent the horse from putting his foot on the head rope, yet allowing the maximum length of movement.

Fig 1 (Click to enlarge) - Courtesy: ryancoaxum.com

Horses may be tied to the rings that are often found in stalls or on the heel post. When tying a horse in a stable, it is best to use a knot that can be released quickly. A method of tying such knot is shown in Fig 1. The knot is made by doubling the head rope or the shank of the halter with one short end. This doubled piece of rope is put under the ring, and then another loop in the long end nearest the horse is inserted through the double end. The short end is pulled tight. A second loop is made in the short end, and this is put through the firsst loop and tightened by a pull on the long end. A quick tug on the short end releases the horse.

Twitches - Courtesy: fao.org

Twitches: A twitch is a tightening device used to restrain an animal. The different types of twitches are the stick twitch, halter twitch, loop twitch, and leg twitch. Twitches should be applied immediately before the necessary restraint is used. Since the device inflicts pain, repeated use should be avoided.

a. Stick Twitches:The stick twitch consists of a piece of stout wood about 1 m long with a 1.5 cm hole about three cm from the end. A piece of rope is inserted through this hole. While applying a twitch, the animal should be haltered and backed into a corner of the stable yard. Take the twitch stick under the right arm and stand on the near side opposite the left shoulder. Put the thumb and last three fingers of left hand trough the loop of the twitch, but leave the index finger out to prevent the loop slipping over wrist. Take the animal in confidence and get a good hold of the upper lip, leaving the nostrils free. With the right hand, rapidly twist up the stick. Take as tight a hold as necessary, but do not be unduly severe. The twitch helps restrain the animal by causing a harmless pressure upon a sensitive area of the upper lip. It also diverts the animal's attention from the part being manipulated and affords a strong hold upon the head of animal. If it is not possible t apply a twitch on the upper lip, then the lower lip or an ear may be used.

b. Loop Twitches: The loop twitch consists of a pliable rope with a running noose on one end. The noose is passed over the poll, into the mouth, and pulled tight. It should be used very carefully since it is liable to cut the commissures of the lips.

c. Leg Twitches: The leg twitch is an ordinary tourniquet applied about 10 cm above the knee or hock to immobilize the leg.

Continue... (Read about more restraining devices as gags, bull rings, muzzles, cradles, crushes and ropes in next post)

Restraining animals

Handling and restraining means controlling animals for various purposes such as:

• Giving them medical treatment or surgical operations
• Shoeing, drenching and checking ear tags or tattoos, taking blood samples, ringing, etc.
• Examining the buccal cavity, eyes, feet, or any other parts which are not otherwise clearly visible.
• Preventing biting of other animals or attendants.

Restraint can be effected by using various devices such as halters, head collars, twitches, muzzles, gags, side lines, and hobbles.

Handling animals: catching poultry

When catching birds, a smooth style of movement is essential as sudden movements will cause the birds to take avoiding action, and then they are almost impossible to catch. Such episodes can result in smothering when the birds run into corners, injury from fleeing, and reduction in egg production.
Older chickens can be caught by grasping the body with both hands over the wings. This prevents flapping which could cause injury to the bird and alarm the other birds in the flock. Firm but responsive handling will be more successful in keeping the bird comfortable, whereas loose holding of the bird may allow it to free one or more limbs with the risk of injury.
The ideal approach is not always possible, and one may have to resort to catching the chicken by the legs. Both legs can be grasped with one hand. The other hand is used to support the bird from below in an upright position. It can then be held with the legs grasped and the body resting on the hand to allow it to be handled for condition scoring, general examination, assessment of laying status, etc.

Handling animals: Goats

Goat handling is strongly influenced by the fact that they seem to enjoy companionship and being handled once they have become used to it. Regularly handled dairy goats are often very friendly. Fibre-producing breeds seem to be more reserved, but even they soon get used to being handled, and in small numbers can be almost as amenable to handling as the dairy breeds. The exceptions are the males. Although rarely unfriendly, their strong, almost overpowering smell makes them unattractive animals to handle, and as a result they are often handled badly.
Catching goats: The inquisitiveness of goats can often be used to good advantage when an individual animal is handled. The group should be approached quietly and in a friendly manner. The handler should enter the pen and, if necessary, pretend to carry out some task to attract their attention. They will almost certainly crowd around, and then it is a simple matter to hold one. Although goats are very inquisitive, they are also cunning and soon learn when the handler is trying to catch one of them, so care should be taken to avoid a time-wasting chase. Once goats are caught, they can be restrained by a firm hold around the neck at the base of the skull. A collar should then be used. Fibre-producing goats such as Angoras should not be restrained by holding their fleece, as this will cause excessive bruising under the skin.
Goats are natural followers and should be led rather than driven when ever possible. A lot of time can be saved if the goats are taught to recognize a food bucket or bag. They will usually follow a handler into a pen if they think they are going to be fed. Goats that are not used to regular handling, such as some fibre-producing types run out on hill land, will need to be handled for some routine treatments, e.g. vaccination and drenching.

Handling Animals: Sheep

Preparation: Prior to actual handling, it is wise to have though through all the tasks and possible responses of the sheep. Are all the facilities, tools, chemicals, and protective clothing ready? Are there sufficient people on hand having the necessary skill? Is the route ready, with all unnecessary avenues blocked off? Once handling has started, such preparation helps the job to go smoothly and lessens delay due to unforeseen events.
Risk of injury: Because of the relatively small size of sheep, we tend to lift and move them manually, often with a bent back. Such action may cause low-grade back injury with a cumulative effect.
Although sheep are generally not aggressive towards people, they sometimes cause injuries. Rams, particularly during the mating season, may attack with sufficient force to cause serious leg or back injury. Remember that sheep do not sense their environment in the same way as humans. They have eyes at the sides of their heads and can almost see behind themselves without turning their heads.
Arousal: Here are some common factors that tend to incite or arouse sheep:

1. Visual isolation from other sheep
2. Proximity of dogs or people
3. Hunger or thirst
4. Sexual activity
5. New environments
6. Unusual loud or high frequency sounds

The following factors decrease arousal:

1. Proximity of other sheep
2. Low-frequency noises such as the "rumble" call of a ewe to her lamb, or the courting ram to an oestrous ewe
3. Low illumination, as in covered yards.

Handling animals: Cattle

Skills and risk of injury: Good cattle handling is a skill which gets a job done safely, humanely, and quickly. Most cattle handling can be done with out physical exertion. It is best done with ingenuity and patience - not by force. By understanding the behaviour of cattle, actions can be predicted and thus directed to give the required response.
Cattle can cause injury to handlers in a variety of ways. At up to 800 Kg as an adult, a bull's weight is sufficient to knock down, trample, or crush a against wall or fence, either intentionally or accidentally. Bruised or broken toes may result from trampling by cattle unless protective foot wear is worn. Cattle and buffaloes use their heads to attack and to defend themselves. If horned, they can inflict severe damage when they attack with the head. A quick thrust sideways or forward can be fatal. They can butt with with great force and inflict injury even when polled or dehorned. Dairy bulls are particularly dangerous. Cattle/buffaloes usually kick with one hind leg at a time in a forward, outward, or backward movement, and so can stricke someone standing at their shoulder. Cows are particularly protective in the first day or two after calving and may attack anyone approaching their calves. Tail switching can cause injury to unprotected eyes if they are struck by the long hairs at the end of the tail.
Welfare: The welfare of animals is very important. It is our obligation to maintain their well-being. The whole handling procedure is easier when animals are relaxed. People with dairy farm experience generally accept that dairy cows are easier to handle when they are comfortable, that is, when they are clean, dry, and away from drafts.
Animals should be kept calm so that they move and stand quietly. Cattle should be allowed to settle down for 20 minutes or so after yarding. Control of arousal is fundamental in controlling the movement of animals. Handling, by its very nature, stimulates animals and raises their excitement level. Humped cattle have a reputation for being more difficult to handle in yards. It should be kept in mind that an animal's response to a stimulus depends not only on the type and intensity of the stimulus but also on the unique temperament of the animal.
Social Behaviour: Cattle and buffaloes are social animals, forming attachments and living naturally in groups. When a group is being formed or added to, there are usually conflicts among animals which are expressed by fighting, withdrawing, appeasing, etc. In this way two animals sort out which one has priority of access to something desirable like a patck of grass or a good place to lie down. This establishes a social herarchy which works for the befit of the herd. The struggle for dominance is especially noticeable in the case of cattle. When a social heirarchy is set up in a herd of cattle, it usually lasts for a long time.
When an animal is taken out of the group for more than a day, there is usually considerable antagonism shown towards this animals from the others when it returns. This can result in a drop in milk production in cows or physical damage among bulls. The animal should, therefore, be returned as soon as possible. If the animal has been away for more than a day, it is better to return it when the other animals in the group are engaged in some activity and too distracted to get involved in a fight. Fighting among cattle, particularly bulls, occurs when familiar and unfamiliar animals are mixed together in a group. The increased muscle activity results in elevaated pH of carcasses and dark, firm, dry meat.
Psychological behaviour: Early experiences can have a lasting impact on cattle and buffaloes, so it is especially important to exercise care and caution when handling an animal for the first time. One bad handling experience may be remembered by the animal for as long as three years. If cattle are handled gently from youth, they will be much easier to handle later, for example, when being loaded into a vehicle for transportation. If an animal has been handled badly when driven into yard, for example, it will be much more difficult to get it back into that area again. A handling system must be well established from the outset and made to work the first time.
From an early age, animals should be trained to accept and expect a daily routine. Cattle readily learn to accept routine, and routine makes dairy milking and handling much easier and productive. Animals even become so used to routine that small changes in their environment, such as a change of milker, can create excitement and result in a pronounced drop in productivity.
Handler characteristics: The attitude of the handler is very important. Impatient handling may cause injury and affect production dairy cows. A confident milker usually obtains higher yields. It is commonly believed that animals can detect a handler's lack of confidence. Handlers who are unsure of themselves certainly do not have good control over animals and so fail to get the desired responses from them. A new handler should therefore learn proper techniques from the start and keep practising them regularly.
Handling animals with minimum disturbance also increases the opportunity for heat detection the dairy herd. The animals' response to the stimulation of handling may point to certain conditions such as hypomagnesaemia or lameness.

Approaching animals for handling and restraining

General Precautions:

1. When approaching an animal in a shed, stall, or paddock, always speak to it before touching it.
2. Approach the anoimal from the left side and handle from the head or near the head (beware of the horns of cattle and buffalo).
3. It is not advisable to carry a stick, but if one is needed it should be kept out of sight of the animal.
4. Get some information about the animal from its attendant or owner, e.g. whether the animal is calm or aggressive.
5. Treat strange animals with suspicion, but try not to let the animal know that you are afraid of it.
6. The animal should wear a head collar or a halter. If required, use two ropes on the head collar and tie one to each pillar ring. (Two ropes are especially needed when working with stallions or bulls).
7. Never handle the hind quarters or hind legs without having the animal's head held and a foreleg lifted or restrained.
8. Take hold of the forelock (in the horse), ear, or nose until a halter has been put on. Do not grasp the nose too tightly, otherwise breathing may be obstructed.
9. It is important never to make a sudden snatch at the animal's head collar. This alarms the animal and may make it suspcious on future occasions. 
10. Keep in mind that some animals kick backwards, some forwards, and other laterally with their hind legs. some cattle can kick all three ways.
11. Bulls, especially over a year old, are often treacherous and should be properly secured before being approached by a stranger. They are usually rung before they are one year old. It is wise not to trust a bull.
12. When haltering horned animals, it is best to slip the poll-piece of the halter over the horns and ears before adjusting the loop around the nose, so that the animal cannot take the halter off and break loose.
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Handling and restraining of farm animals

Handling, controlling, restraining, transporting, and casting farm animals sometimes causes them distress even when they are being well managed. Three principles should be kept in mind when conducting these procedures to avoid harming the animals or affecting their productivity.
- The stock man should try to minimize any stress experienced by the animals or the workers handling them.
- These procedures should be carried out in such a manner that the animal are not injured.
- These procedures should be carried out in such a way that the workers are not injured.
In order to meet these objectives, the stock man should ensure before starting that proper equipment is available for the procedure and that the equipment is clean and in good working order. He should know how to use the equipment properly, efficiently and quietly. People assisting a procedure should also know the procedure and feel comfortable while performing it. Fear is perhaps the most dangerous emotion when working with livestock, since a frightened person seldom considers the consequences of his actions. His fear may also be communicated to the animals and upset them, thus making handling more difficult.