The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: C1ark3c on January 03, 2015, 09:02:50 pm

Title: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: C1ark3c on January 03, 2015, 09:02:50 pm

Has anyone heard of or read any books by Temple Grandin?

Has anyone built or or know of anyone who has built the designs from her books on animal handling facilities?

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: fsmnutter on January 04, 2015, 09:35:05 am

She's fantastic, a hero of mine.
I had the fantastic opportunity to see her talk at my university a few years ago.
Not got cattle so haven't built any of the plans, but the general principles can help make small changes to everyday animal handling.
Good luck if you do use them
Suzanne

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: C1ark3c on January 04, 2015, 10:26:01 am

Yes ... Thanks for the response ... A hero of mine too...

There is a TV movie made of her life.  http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin_(film) (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin_(film))

It covers both her development of her theories on cattle handling and her own difficulties with autism.

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: Rosemary on January 04, 2015, 11:21:13 am

I've read one of her books. Interesting stuff.

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: daveh on January 04, 2015, 04:37:11 pm

Yep, read her book on animal handling facilities. Her designs were a bit too much on the grand scale for what I required. But the design I came up with and had built owes much to her thoughts. Better still, the cattle walk through the pens and crush every day to get to their feed trough.

Regards, David

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: Factotum on January 04, 2015, 04:46:40 pm

Good stuff there.

We built a small race from scaffold poles and field gates - it leads to our cattle crush.

The cattle use this as their way into and out of their shed. They manage to troop through fairly well, and will engage reverse if someone wants to go the 'other' way... Our calves learn the route from their dams - and most of them are fine - though there's always one who can't seem to get the idea, and it's usually a bull calf - I'm sure they're a bit dimmer than the heifers.

As they use the race and the crush as a routine wallkway, we have no trouble lining them up for vet procedures such as TB annd BVD testing. Makes our vet a very happy man.

Sue

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: Marches Farmer on January 04, 2015, 05:57:29 pm

Brilliant!  I've read all her books and they really help you to look at the world from livestock's perspective.

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: SallyintNorth on January 04, 2015, 11:15:55 pm

Another fan here.

Most of the cattle handling suppliers have now embodied some of her ideas in standard layouts.  Most will, if the site (and farmer) allows for it, incorporate an s-bend in a race, and other features to encourage natural movement. 

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: Cowgirl on January 07, 2015, 09:39:07 pm

There are some of her videos on You Tube - well worth watching.

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: farmers wife on July 03, 2015, 11:58:24 pm

yes, my husband has set a system up with bud boxes and walks zig zags behind the cattle.  Much calmer and easier to control.  He's usually a screamer and water pipe mad.  Done him the world of good!

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: Cowgirl on July 06, 2015, 01:26:23 pm

I've heard she has transformed abattoir and feedlot handling systems all over the world and if she visits an abattoir she terrifies even big companies if they are doing things wrong - fantastic woman!

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: waterbuffalofarmer on July 06, 2015, 01:40:08 pm

I know the name, but I can't remember reading any of her stuff before :)

Title: Re: Dr Temple Grandin and Animal Handling facilities
Post by: verdifish on July 06, 2015, 03:53:39 pm

4 those that have sky the film " temple grandin " is available on demand, not only a fab film but a very true biopic of the great ladies life