Raceways Loading and Unloading Ramps

33 Cold Winter Climates

2.2.4. Raceways

Where a lot of animals are to be handled, races should be 10m to 15m in length to eiciently handle and process the animals. Shorter races may be used for smaller herds. As with ramps, the materials used for the sides of the race should be strong enough to prevent the animals from escaping. The sides should be a minimum of 1,600mm high and 760mm to 800mm apart. As the race is a high pressure area posts should be cemented into the ground 800mm to 900mm deep and heavy walled pipe is one of the easiest materials to use. If timber rails are used, the rails need to be at least 50mm thickness to withstand the pressure applied to the rails and posts spaced no more than 1.5m apart. All pipe posts should be capped or illed with cement to prevent them illing with water and rusting out. The bottom one or two rails on the working side of the race can be made to be removable so that animals can be released if they go down or turn over. The remainder of the rails should be secured in place to give the race a smooth internal surface. Older style cattle yards have tended to utilise straight races Fig. 2.19. However, curved races have gained widespread favour, and combined with sheeting of fences in strategic positions, makes use of the animals natural behaviour and will allow animals to move in a yard more easily. It will reduce stress and injury to both animals and people. It also removes hold-ups where animals can be distracted or attempt to join with other animal groups Fig. 2.20. Figure 2.19. Straight race in an older design of cattle yards. Source: International Agriculture for Development. 34 Beef Breeder MANUAL Figure 2.20. Modern designs utilise curves and strategically placed sheeting to use the behavioural instincts of cattle to move more easily along the race. Source: Commander Ag-quip.

2.2.5. Loading and Unloading Ramps

Regardless of whether the ramp is to be used to load or unload at the wharf, farm, feedlot or processing plant, most features are the same Fig. 2.21. Ideally the ramps should have a slope no greater than 20 degrees. For unloading at a farm or processing plant they can be up to 3m wide, but for loading they should only be 760mm wide. Mature cattle should not be able to turn around in them. Figure 2.21. Loading ramp for cattle with a 20 degree elevation to allow cattle to load onto a truck with ease. Source: Magnus Australia. 35 Cold Winter Climates The sides can be made from wooden rails, pipe, or sheeting strong enough to stop the animals from escaping, and should be at least 1.6m high. If sheeting is used on the side that the animal handlers work on it should only be sheeted to half the height to allow the handlers easy access to the animal. The inclined surface of the ramp must be non-slip so that the animals can walk up the race in all conditions without risk of slipping and injury Fig. 2.22. Ideally, the ramp should have a lat area at the top of about 1m in length Fig. 2.23. This level area helps when cattle unload from trucks as they are able to step onto a level surface and steady themselves before moving down the inclined ramp. The height of this level area should be the same as the loor height of the trucks that would be used to deliver and cart away the animals. This height should be determined correctly when building the ramp as it will help to reduce injury, bruising and stress, and involves checking the loor height of local trucks before building the ramp. The sides of the ramp should also be constructed so that there is no signiicant gap between the end of the ramp sides and the truck that would enable an animal to attempt to escape through during loading and unloading. Figure 2.22. A non-slip surface created using narrow tread boards installed across the loor of a wooden loading ramp. Source: International Agriculture for Development. 36 Beef Breeder MANUAL Figure 2.23. Cattle loading ramp with a level platform at the top of the ramp to assist cattle to steady themselves as they step of the truck. Source: Magnus Australia. Figure 2.24. Poorly designed and constructed handling facilities such as the limsy, low-sided loading ramp left and poorly maintained race right are unsafe for cattle and people and must be replaced. Source: International Agriculture for Development.

2.2.6. Laneways