Think Safety First When Dealing With Animals

Mar 13, 2018

Farmers and ranchers are working long hours as calving season continues.

Glen Blahey with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association says more animal related injuries are seen this time of year.

"We always have to make provisions to ensure that we take the best kind of control strategies there are to manage the unpredictability of that animal. We don't want to startle them, we don't want to upset them, and the more upset we get, the more upset the animal gets and that does not escalate into a good situation."

Blahey says having a communication plan is a key part of calving safety.

"At calving time, an individual ends up going out to check on the cows and provide assistance. You need a communication plan to make sure that if there is a problem, someone knows where you are, and someone knows when you should be back, and is able to check on you."

Source : Steinbachonline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.