B300
Handling and Facilities

1. The level of noise should be kept to a minimum.
2. Animals move better on flat surfaces rather than on inclines.
3. If animals must move up an incline, it is important to have a floor surface that provides a firm foot hold.
4. Animals move better if they have an unobstructed view of an exit.
5. It is difficult to get animals to move directly towards an operator if the person is visible to them.
6. Sheeted side panels are generally an aid to movement because vision is restricted to the straight ahead direction, reducing distractions.
7. The same flow paths should be used each time the animals move through the corral or yards.
8. Animals tend to balk at shadows across their path. Areas where animals move should be well lit to avoid shadows.
9. Animals move better on grating or cleats if they are laid in a direction at right angles to their direction of movement and light below the grating or cleats is eliminated.
10. The use of live decoys and/or mirrors may help movement.

Gates and catches should be easily operable and all surfaces should be smooth. The ground surface should be non-slip. Concrete is recommended for working areas and for draining pens used to spray and dip the animals.

Materials for the facility can be wood, metal, steel mesh, and concrete blocks, with the costs increasing in that order. Wood is the simplest to use, but all wooden posts should be pressure treated with a preservative before installation. Pressure treated posts tend to last longer. Metal is a good substitution for wood because it is stronger and requires less maintenance. Concrete is a permanent alternative, but this characteristic makes it difficult to modify, enlarge, or add to at a later time. Recently, some well designed, semi-portable and completely portable metal and aluminium handling systems have become available. These systems have proved efficient in practice. However, they can be costly for larger layouts. A good compromise is to use this type of equipment for the chute (race) and cutting gates, and to construct the holding pens and perimeter fencing from wood or other material.

It is recommended that the sides of the chutes be sheeted, but that the gates at the end of a chute should allow animals to see through. This causes the animals to move towards the light and other animals at the end of the chute.

Operations such as semen examinations, pregnancy testing, vaccination, drenching, identification, selection, culling unsound animals, foot inspection, tagging, facing, and trimming can be performed while animals go through a handling facility. This helps to stream-line husbandry practices and helps reduce labor inputs and costs. The more tasks that can be performed at one time, the less time and effort will be required in gathering and herding animals to and from the corrals. If the handling unit can be taken to the animals, rather than the animals taken to the facility, time consuming travel may be reduced. Portable or easily dismantled units, along with the establishment of simple, permanent corrals (yards) at key points on the ranch or farm, will aid such movement.

A number of factors should be considered before purchasing handling devices:

1. Cost
2. Weight and strength of construction
3. Number of movable and breakable parts
4. Ease of portability
5. Noise during operation
6. Efficiency of the entrance or lead of chute (race) and the release
7. Suitability for all the husbandry operations planned
8. Possibility of installing multiple units in a series to relieve animal boredom
9. Speed of performance (this depends greatly on the operator’s skill.)
10. Accessory equipment required, i.e. flexible drive, air compressor, etc.
11. Whether the unit can be adapted for a left-handed person

Site Selection: The site for an animal working facility should be convenient for access to both the animals and the producer. It should be near water and electricity. It should also be free-draining and sheltered if possible.

Working Facilities: Generally, large working yards embody the following components: (For small producers some of these areas can be omitted.)

1. Receiving Yards - The animals enter these pens, which generally have a large capacity, sufficient to hold the biggest group of animals usually handled by the operator at one time.
   
   
2. Forwarding Yards (Diamond Yards) - These are considerably smaller, and consequently, are useful for dealing with small bunches of animals as well as the function of leading up to the crush or forcing pens.
   
   
3. Crush or Forcing Pen(s) - These are usually one or two long, small pens, frequently tapering at one end, and holding about 50 head of adult animals. They in turn connect by a two-way gate with the mouth (wedge or "Y") of the chute or drafting race.
   
   
4. Drafting Race or Chute - This race or chute is long and narrow, just wide enough for the animals to pass through in single file. Its purpose is to divide a mixed flock/herd into any number of smaller bunches, and for this the race is fitted at its exit with one or more sorting or drafting gates, which funnel the animals into several drafting or sorting pens.
   
   
5. Drafting or Sorting Pens - These are small pens into which animals can be drafted or "cut."
   
   
6. Check Pens - These vary in number, corresponding with the number of drafting or sorting pens. Their purpose is to hold the animals while they are being checked over for mistakes in sorting and for treatment. These pens must be small, and each usually has the same capacity as its drafting or sorting pen. The check pens usually open into much larger holding yards or corrals.
   
   
7. Holding Yards or Corrals - These correspond to the size and number of the checking pens. In addition to the components mentioned, there may be units such as a branding race and a dipping area that can share some sections of the general working facility. Small farm flock producers do not need all the components mentioned above, but should have some means of accomplishing these same activities.

1. Group-fed:
   • 16-20"/adult
   • 9-12"/feeder animal
2. Self-fed:
   • 10-12"/adult if feeding silage
   • 8-10"/adult if feeding hay

1. Per automatic bowl:
   • 40-50 adults or adults with young
   • 50-75 feeder animals
2. Per foot of tank perimeter:
   • 15-25 adults or adults with young
   • 25-40 feeder animals

1. Open-front building with lot:
   • 10-12 sq ft/adult
   • 12-16 sq ft/adult and young
   • 6-8 sq ft/feeder animal
2. Lot:
   • 25-40 sq ft/adult
   • 25-40 sq ft/adult and young
   • 15-20 sq ft/feeder animal
3. Solid floor - confinement:
   • 12-16 sq ft/adult
   • 15-20 sq ft/adult and young
   • 8-10 sq ft/feeder animal
4. Slotted floor - confinement:
   • 8-10 sq ft/adult
   • 10-12 sq ft/adult and young
   • 4-5 sq ft/feeder animal
     

1. Provide pens for:
   • 10-15% of a 100 ewe/doe flock or herd
   • 7-9% of a 600 ewe/doe flock or herd
   • 4-6% of a 1,000 ewe/doe band
2. Lambing pens or jugs:
   • Minimum 4' x 4' x 36" high for small animals and singles
   • 4' 6" x 4' 6" x 36" high for adult animals and singles
   • 4' 6" x 5' x 36" high for adult animals and twins
   • 5' x 5' x 36" high for large framed adult animals and multiple births
   • Provide for water, roughage, and grain feeding within the jugs.
3. Creep space:
   • 1.5-2.0 sq ft/lamb or kid
4. Nursery pens for 2 to 4 day olds before placing into mixing pens:
   • 16' x 16' for 20 adults and 30 young
5. Group pen size:
   • 125 to 150 adults with singles
   • 60-75 adults with twins
     

1. Supplemental heat:
   • 1000-2000 BTU/hr per 1000 lbs animal live weight
2. Forced ventilation:
   • 25 cfm/1000 lbs animal live weight, continuous winter minimum rate
   • 200 cfm/1000 lbs animal live weight, continuous summer minimum rate