Loading Out

A custom grazier’s life changes as the clocks fall back one hour. It’s about this time when the frosted grass has only nominal value in the nutrition department for grass-finishing beef. Since I manage herds away from my home farm it is imperative to get cattle off these rented grazing lands before the first snowstorm hits. I can assure you the stress level can be intense with a foot of snow and mud, cranky cattle, and trying to back up empty tractor trailers to an off-site location. I have learned the hard way it’s better to load out sooner than later.

Loading out is a term that many use to describe moving whole sets of animals to another location or to a processing facility. I’m very familiar with loading out whole houses of layer hens and hogs. This model is an all-in, all-out system to facilitate cleaning, repairs and starting a new group of chicks or feeder pigs as soon as possible. The permanent loading docks and handling chutes of these vertically integrated houses allow for rapid, efficient movement of animals on to the trailer. If only it was that simple out here in the pasture with free-thinking cattle, manly men and their motorized vehicles.

I fully admit to following the tradition of rodeo manhood and inflicting my superior intellect and force upon animals. About all this ridiculous behavior got me was broken equipment, stressed out cattle and personal injury. Yep, cattle-moving is really something you look forward to at the end of the grazing season. I guess it was one of those “close calls” that precipitated a change. Its funny how lying in the mud, thinking about the end of your reproductive career can bring about a mindset change. At that point I knew who the smarter beast was.

I believe every farmer in America should become knowledgeable with the practical, animal behavior teachings of Temple Grandin, Bud Williams and Steve Cote. You should absolutely know about animal flight zones and point of balance, common animal distractions, humane handling facilities and why hot shots are evil. This learned behavior is necessary for a stress-free loading experience and tender meat. When you are right with your animals, it’s a beautiful thing, but it takes practice. As one that moves animals frequently, I can attest to practice makes perfect. For those who forgot, this is called Stockmanship and according to my trucker, “is sorely missing on today’s farms”.

He should know, I was once the over zealous he-man causing him to just shake his head. Remember he gets paid to truck cattle not chase animals or setup corrals. Making his job easier moves you ahead on the busy hauler’s list and perhaps lowers the trucking bill. Time is money after all. This scenario was never more poignant than last week’s move of 90 feeders off a farm 25 miles away to a new wintering area.

Rotational grazing lends itself well to staging for movement towards the waiting portable corral system. The landowner and I got together on Saturday and laid out paddocks with portable fence so we would be ready to load the following Friday. This daily fresh break of feed reinforces the herd mentality and the notion that the last cow in eats some “dirty” grass. It’s a strong driver to be the herd leader. Kemp and I have used this same last paddock because it ends at the road in a corner under some pine trees, a perfect place to catch cattle and load a tractor trailer.

The down fall of the system is corral panels are see-thru, and when pushed, animals can diminish a 100 dollar gate to scrap. The bottle-neck has always been right at the ramp to the truck. It’s amazing how little room an animal needs to turn around or worse, escape. The stress of seeing a shiny truck, grass on both sides of the gates, noise and steel under foot makes the loading process painfully slow and people to get hurt. Knowing this from last year it was time for a “Grandin” moment.

We proceeded to pound a dozen heavy locust posts and hung 6 sheets of ¾” plywood on them to form a 24’x30” solid chute. Taking care of this pinch point paid big dividends. The steer’s natural tendency to go towards an opening uninhibited by the sights and sounds couldn’t have been more perfect and safe for all. The herding instinct followed and you had cattle running on to the truck. All this good stuff for the price of a few sheets of plywood, screws and some thought. The best part was taking the chute down in ten minutes with a screw-gun and transporting the whole system on my Grandfather’s old boat trailer back home.

I realize we could buy a complete portable cattle handling facility and dispense with in-field modifications, but they are expensive for a once a year move. Maybe you could share a system with a neighbor or two to make it more cost effective. The point is to do something that helps cattle flow and reduce stress on animals and people. This practice will save you money, reduce shrink and provide a better product for the humane-concerned consumer. It’s just the right thing to do.

I owe my animals a tremendous amount of respect for turning sunshine and grass into meat and feeding a hungry planet. Caring for your stock in a caring and compassionate way all the way through to the loading ramp is frankly worth it in terms of being a good farmer and for customer relations. I shed a tear over every load of cattle leaving our care. The sheer appreciation of these animals nourishing a country and me giving them the best natural life possible chokes me up. At the moment when the truck rolls out of site, I wonder how God will perceive my stewardship. For someday I will be loaded out and returned to the earth and leave my lasting footprint upon the grass. Published In Lancaster Farming 11/14/2009