Livestock producers will train their horses to be ridden or their dogs to herd livestock or for hunting. One leading expert said producers also need to think about training their cattle. Curt Pate of Wyoming was in Stillwater this past week teaching “effective stockmanship”. One of the ways to achieve effective stockmanship is to develop that relationship with livestock by helping them understand their expectations. Pate said that is the key in the whole process of training animals.
“So, the thought and concept for horses and dogs is always the better trained they are, the better they work, but we don’t think about training our cattle, the most important things we have for making us money, we don’t think about training them to go up a chute, on a truck, how to stand calmly in a pen, how to be sorted,” Pate said. “If we can train them to do those things or get ready to do them, then this abuse stuff and the cattle handling it all becomes a nonissue, now we are looking at a performance.”
For some animal rights activists, it won’t matter how livestock producers handle their stock as they dislike it all. As Pate looks to engage in a conversation with an activist, he goes into the situation by evaluating their behavior, similar to reading cattle.
“That tells me what to do, with people that are animal activists I try to read ‘em,” Pate said. “If they are genuine and they really want what’s best for animals, I am going to go talk to them and I’m going to work with ‘em.”
If these individuals are on the fight, like a wild rodeo bull, Pate said would get out of the pen and leave them alone. He said he won’t make any mistakes and waste his time on them. If these individuals are about improving the lives of animals like most agricultural producers, then he said they can find common ground.
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Northern Ag Network Note: Curt Pate will be presenting a Low Stress Livestock Handling workshop in June 2 in Miles City and June 3 in Baker, MT. CLICK HERE to check out our Upcoming Ag Events calendar for dates and locations.
Source: Beef Buzz News
