HUMANE LIVESTOCK HANDLING - UNDERSTANDING LIVESTOCK BEHAVIOR AND BUILDING FACILITIES FOR HEALTHIER

Temple Grandin, North America´s most influential advocate of humane livestock treatment, has spent her life developing stress-free facility designs and standards of humane management. In an environment of growing concern regarding large factory-farming practices, Grandin is a voice of reason explaining the benefits of keeping animals calm through every phase of their lives -- benefits that include safer working conditions, higher yields of marketable meat, better-quality meat, and, of course, more humane conditions for the animals. The first half of "Humane Livestock Handling" reviews the natural behavior and temperament of cattle. Working with the animals´ natural instincts, Grandin describes low-stress methods for moving cattle on pastures, paddocks, and feedlot pens. Slow, controlled movement reduces stress and fear, resulting in calmer, healthier cattle.