Animal Behaviour

Livestock drivers need to understand the basics of animal behaviour. Not only will it help when handling animals, but it will be of use in identifying animals that are abnormal because they are ill, distressed, hungry or thirsty.

Animal behaviour is influenced in three basic ways:

Innate

Basic instincts are programmed, e.g. the need to eat and drink.

Sensed

The animals respond to stimulus from the environment, e.g. noise. Once a change or stimulus is detected by an animal, it will assess the situation and react accordingly.

Learnt

Animals may produce a response based on previous experiences, e.g. cows wait by the gate to come in for milking.

Behavioural characteristics

Animals perceive the world in a different way to humans and, likewise, the perception of a pig or a horse is not necessarily the same as that of a cow or a sheep. Different species have different behavioural characteristics.

Sheep

• are social ‘follower’ type animals;
• are a prey species and therefore have senses developed to be alert to danger;
• have a wide field of vision (340°) and can see moving objects at very long distances, but not those that are still;
• have acute hearing and will be startled by sudden noise;
• are generally docile but can be nervous and flighty;
• show strong flocking and following behaviour – isolation will usually cause distress;
• are relatively easy to handle, but mature rams may become aggressive.

Cattle

• have a strong herd instinct and develop a social order within the group. They dislike being isolated and mixing of different social groups will cause fighting;
• are large, strong and move quickly, despite their size and bulk. Direct contests of strength should be avoided, and they must be treated with respect;
• have a wide field of vision (340°) but only see well within narrow limits to the front;
• are poor judges of detail and distance – they dislike dark, shadowy areas and will shy at the slightest provocation;
• have a good sense of smell;
• hear sounds at similar and higher frequencies than humans – they dislike sudden, loud noises;
• Can negotiate a gradual incline better than a steep slope and are not sure-footed moving downhill.
• Bulls can become aggressive and it is unwise to work alone with these animals.

Pigs

• naturally come from a woodland environment and their senses have evolved accordingly;
• have a wide field of vision (310°) but this may be physically restricted in certain breeds (e.g. lop ear types);
• do not see well at a distance;
• have a good sense of smell and like to root about and investigate new surroundings;
• have good hearing;
• are very vocal animals and communicate using a complex vocabulary of grunts and squeals;
• do not have as strong a following instinct as cattle and sheep. They can be difficult to move and prefer not to be hurried – it is easier to guide pigs and let them find their own way;
• if rushed, they have a strong fear reaction and will pile on top of one another to get away;
• can be susceptible to stress and must be handled with great care.

Key point: Whether you handle cattle, sheep or pigs, learn to look at things from their point of view, to make your job quicker, easier and safer.