Sorting Cattle: Reasoning and Methods

Many cattle producers spend a great deal of time sorting cattle for many different reasons. They may be getting ready to take them to a sale barn or they may be sorting cows from calves to work them or wean them. Whatever the case may be, having the proper facilities and technique to sort the cattle will save the producer a lot of time(which is always a plus) and possibly a few headaches  According to Ryan Reuter from the Noble Foundation, the key to sorting cattle is controlling the animals so the behavior of individuals can be managed at will. He also goes on to tell the different methods that can be used to sort cattle and those methods include horseback, dogs or the with the help of other people.

I would agree that controlling the animals behavior is a key to sorting cattle because if you are in control you can do whatever you want with the cattle but I also believe a few other factors must be taken into account. Those factors include the skill of the person sorting cattle, the disposition of the cattle being sorted, and the condition and design of the facilities being used. If the person sorting the cattle has no clue about what they are doing then it doesn't matter how much control you have over your animals you still won't be able to sort them so I would say the key point to this situation is having someone who knows what they are doing. If the disposition of the cattle are poor you will also have a tough time sorting the cattle so having gentle cattle can also be a key to sorting the cattle. If the condition of the facilities is bad you will have a tough time sorting the cattle and may even be putting yourself at risk of getting hurt and the same goes with design so you want to make sure you have top of the line facilities especially if you find yourself sorting cattle quite frequently.