Considerations before Investing in Cattle Handling FacilitiesBefore making any purchase, the rational investor makes sure that their purchase will provide benefits from a financial, time and ease standpoint. An investment in a new cattle handling facility will ultimately mean that the individual or business will profit more in the long run than if they hadn’t made the change, and benefit from less mental and physical energy using the new facility. New facilities should mean that it simply takes less time to move stock, pen up, and perform animal husbandry tasks, all benefiting the bottom line.
There are several cattle yards and handling products available on the market, that all promote making your working days shorter, more productive and profitable. However, what sets some yards apart? And what are the most important considerations before investing in new cattle handling facilities?
Finding the Right Company
Materials that are built to last
Anyone familiar with the livestock industry will inherently know that investing in livestock equipment, especially a new set of yards, is never cheap. They can often take a significant amount of time to install which could also interrupt your immediate production routines and objectives. Therefore, it is important to find a company who can install your yards both efficiently and within a short or reasonable timeframe and importantly, show that their facilities will survive long enough to provide a good return on investment.
High levels of service and communication
A sizeable monetary investment such as this, should come with a high level of service from your chosen supplier, and good service starts with communication. You should be able to communicate regularly with the team you are working with – more communication up front will always create a better end result.
Yard design that is suited to your operation
A good company will spend time from the outset making useful recommendations and taking into account your ideas to help create a product that is precisely suited to your operations and personal preferences. High levels of communication will allow for changes the purchaser will likely want to share with the designers along the way, and allow for necessary changes to be made quickly. Further, once a facility is installed there may be small changes or considerations that may need to be discussed.
Safety Considerations
There is always an element of physical risk when handling cattle. A well thought out cattle handling facility should incorporate an array of safety measures that make working with the cattle a less stressful process both for the livestock and staff involved. For example, adding exterior walkways, a serpentine race, multiple drafting capability and remote control gates are some of the important features that allow for better stock flow, improved animal welfare and safer environments for staff.
Features and product recommendations that improve safety
A professional cattle yard designer and manufacturer will be able to recommend various features and products that will create a safer experience in using the yards. Take the use of pneumatics as an example. Pneumatic equipment along with remote control provides a more efficient livestock handling process and less staff overall, but also allows unskilled labour to push buttons rather than getting in with the cattle significantly improving safety, and seconding as a monetary advantage.
Experience in the industry
Furthermore, it’s important to pick a company that has had a lot of experience with cattle handling themselves. Understanding the flight zone and typical behaviour of cattle should be translated into the design of the cattle yard. New features, emphasis on small details that may be overlooked by mass producers all improve the function of your facility. If you deal with people who understand livestock and have had significant experience in the industry, the yard design will likely be of a high standard and along with modern technology works extremely efficiently by improving stock flow and ease of handling.
Design Considerations
Before approaching a supplier, consider their method of planning and design. To do this look at their previous projects and consider customer reviews and comments about this stage, as it is the most critical step in the process. Once the yards are manufactured, it is more difficult and expensive to make changes.
Benefits of using leading tools and technology
The use of leading tools and technology is typically a good indicator the team knows what they’re doing. Take particular note of the technology used by the supplier to create the best results for fit – both in terms of the various manufactured components that need to line up precisely on installation, but also in relation to your land. Some companies will come and clear your land of trees and other natural barriers that provide important shade for livestock and workers, while the best companies will work with the natural elements and existing infrastructure.
When creating designs for your new facilities, the best-case scenario would be a stockyard designer or representative of the company comes to visit your site, maps out the area, takes necessary measurements and photos of the available space including infrastructure and utilities, while also building rapport and discussing your ideas. From here, the best companies will build out the exact measurements of your new yards using a combination of satellite imagery and advanced CAD systems. The results of this type of planning speak for themselves as evidenced by various case studies that are publicly available.
Investing for the long-term
The investment in a cattle handling facility should not be taken lightly given the size of the investment and direct impact on your operations both now and well into the future. A good quality, Australian-made facility should last you 50-60 years or more. Don’t be fooled into investing in facilities made offshore with cheap materials and inflexible design. These do not have the longevity or level of productivity gains provided by quality materials and professional facility builders. Support Australian business where possible and most importantly, do your research, learn what to look for, and make an informed decision.
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