cattle yards

6 Ways Owners Make Cattle Yards More Efficient

04/04/2022 217 0 0

Establishing cattle yards that work to their most efficient level is always an objective for ownership. When the livestock are managed well and primed for meat, milk, leather or fertiliser production, then the stakeholders know that they have a quality foundation to utilise for the short and long-term. The question remains for these participants – how do they achieve this level of excellence? We will look at 6 methods that prove effective.

1) Having Expertly Trained Staff 

The lifeblood of cattle yards will always be the experts and staff that run the operation at ground level on a day-to-day basis. If they are licensed, credentialled, experienced and motivated to do the best job possible, then a lot of the other logistical hassles for the business tend to take care of themselves. This is why entrepreneurs and members of the agricultural industry make selective judgements on the people they hire and the type of workplace culture they help to facilitate. 

2) Leveraging The Best Industry Resources 

Efficiency can be determined through a range of individual measures, but when it comes to assisting cattle yards to work to their optimal level, it will be the equipment, utilities and resources that separates the good sites from the bad. From troughs and pens to feeders, wire rollers, catchers, tags, halters, insulators, trimmers, injectors, shearers, trailers, tanks and beyond, every domain has to be covered. So long as there is the money available to make the investments happen, then the best way to drive towards efficiency targets is to introduce the necessary tools to make the staff’s duties easier. 

3) Accessing Independent Checks & Assessments 

A fresh pair of eyes never hurt the cause. Owners who want to be able to manage their yards effectively are advised to reach out to independent regulators and assessors who can run their eyes over the operation. This helps on a number of fronts. It reduces the concern around insurance issues and industry penalties while identifying opportunities with the layout of the yard that might have been overlooked originally. 

4) Removing Location Obstacles 

Among the many points of concern that owners can have about how their cattle yards are run will be the obstacles that are presented in the way of operational matters. From the parking of vehicles to the placement of pens and guardrails to the interference of weather conditions, lack of irrigation systems, feeding stations and beyond, there will be particular issues that emerge in this context. Rather than working around them or making concessions during each transportation, it is essential that they are dealt with immediately once they have been red-flagged. 

5) Facilitating Quality Relationships With Suppliers & Partners

Group of black cattle 

One of the most effective strategies that ownership can use to maximise the potential of cattle yards is to develop quality working relationships with their other stakeholders and industry partners. Ultimately if deliveries and pickups are not run on schedule and there are complications, then the rest of the operation slows to a halt. The same principle applies with acquisition of materials and process ordering. If there are open lines of communication and trusted partnerships, then these issues are smoothed over. 

6) Regular In-House Examinations, Reporting & Analytics 

There should never be a stage when owners decide that their cattle yards are working at optimal level before turning a blind eye and expecting the same results to happen. In order to keep making progress with the health of livestock, quality ordering processes and on track stakeholder engagement, there needs to be due diligence at regular intervals. By leveraging analytics mechanisms, reporting systems and in-house examinations that keep a close eye on the business each day, it will be possible to realise the potential of cattle yards whatever the size of the domain is.

Categories: Business