The Effect of Repeated Handling on Behavior in Beef Cattle

Excitable cattle can be detrimental to the health of workers and the cattle themselves, with negative effects on production traits. Acclimation to handling has been proposed to increase docility in excitable cattle as an alternative to culling. The objective of this study is to determine if frequent handling causes a change in docility. A factorial design of 2 groups, frequent (F) and infrequent (I), and 3 recording periods, each 1 mo apart, was used. Cattle in the F group were observed 3 consecutive days within each recording period while the I group were observed only once. Twenty Angus heifer calves were randomly assigned to each group, and the experiment was repeated over 3 yr. Observations taken on the calves included chute score (1-docile; 6-aggressive), exit score (1-docile; 5-aggressive), and exit velocity (s). Data were analyzed using ANOVA, with year fitted as a random effect. Recording period, frequency group, and their interaction, were compared on d 1 within each period. Recording period and day within recording period were analyzed for the F group only. There were no differences (P > 0.24) among the two groups for chute score, exit score, or exit velocity on d 1 of each recording period. Within the F group, chute score decreased across recording periods (P < 0.05), with a tendency to decrease across day within recording period (P = 0.06). Exit score and exit velocity were unaffected by recording period (P > 0.28) or day within recording period (P > 0.13). While frequent handling decreased chute score within the F group, there were no differences in docility among the F and I group, suggesting animals did not acclimate to frequent handling.