<b>By LINDA McGURK<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b> </p><p>

CAYUGA, Ind. — Having a good attitude and learning to think in pictures such as animals do are key to good stockmanship, renowned livestock expert Temple Grandin told a crowd of nearly 200 people during a livestock seminar in Cayuga, Ind., on Feb. 9.<br>
She ought to know – now a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, Grandin has spent more than 30 years studying livestock behavior and the design of meat-plant handling equipment. She’s also developed animal welfare guides for the meat industry and advised some of the biggest fast food chains on animal welfare issues.<br>
“A lot of our livestock animals – horses, sheep and cattle – are designed to always look for danger,” she said. “I want you to become more observant of things you don’t normally notice. Vision is the dominant sense for these animals, and you need to get down in that chute to see what your cattle are seeing.”<br>
Sometimes, all it takes to spook a cow is rapid movement, a reflection of light on the floor, a change of color on the wall, a chain hanging from the ceiling or a shadow obscuring the opening of the chute. Understanding how livestock perceive danger, and eliminating those distractions, will reduce stress and help make the animals do what people want them to do without the use of force, according to Grandin.<br>
“Animals tend to head toward the light, unless it’s blinding them, and they tend to be afraid of going into dark places. Sometimes all it takes is opening up a door,” she said.<br>
“Non-slip floors are also really important; I cannot emphasize that enough.”<br>
She specializes in developing livestock handling facilities that take advantage of the animals’ natural behavior, and half the cattle in the United States and Canada are handled using equipment designed by her.<br>
But according to Grandin, good stockmanship is mostly about attitude. Research has showed that yelling and screaming at livestock causes stress in the animals, and she said the electrical cattle prod should not be a primary driving tool.<br>
“My favorite tool is a flag, but some people like a paddle. It really comes down to personal preference. A grocery bag at the end of a stick also works really well,” she said.<br>
Handlers need to look for signs of anxiety in animals, such as the tail swishing with increasing speed, sweating, defecating and ears pointing towards things that concern them.
When animals get scared, their cortisol levels go up, indicating what scientists call “fear stress.”<br>
Fearful behavior should never be punished, according to Grandin. Instead, livestock handlers need to reward desired behaviors and focus on keeping the animals calm.<br>
“When an animal cooperates with what we want it to do, it doesn’t have fear stress,” she said.<br>
Experiencing new things can be both stressful and attractive to an animal, and the key is to let it approach the unknown object or situation voluntarily.<br>
“It’s really important to get the animals used to new things. Change some routines so they don’t panic when something new happens,” Grandin advised.<br>
“It’s hard for people to realize the power of behavior … But stockmanship really pays off. If you beat up on your sows, they will have less piglets, and if you beat up on your cows, they will produce less milk.”<br>
Grandin was the keynote speaker at the Bi-State Livestock Conference. sponsored by the extension services of Purdue University and the University of Illinois. Lisa Ellis, director of the UoI extension in Vermilion County, was pleased that the conference was headlined by such a high-profile and sought speaker like Grandin. Ellis has heard her speak before and has also read some of her books.<br>
“(Grandin) gets better every time you hear her speak. She puts it in such understandable terms,” she said. Ellis, who also runs a feedlot and cow-calf operation, said she and her husband apply many of Grandin’s principles on their farm.<br>
“She’s really revolutionized the process of handling livestock. When you handle them in a quiet, controlled manner, it helps economically, because you don’t end up with injured livestock,” she said.<br>
For more information about Grandin’s livestock handling techniques and equipment, visit her website at www.grandin.com