L Q A & E PROGRAM TRAINING Level 1

1. L Q A & E PROGRAM TRAINING Level 1 Lesson 5 Proper Handling and Care

2. Proper Handling and Care • Learner Outcomes – participants will be able to: • Be aware of basic animal behaviors. • Identify the blind spots, flight zones and balance points of animals and apply that knowledge to handling their project • Gain skills in identifying and evaluating livestock handling tools.

3. Understanding Animal Behavior can help to prevent: • Injury to the animal • Undue stress on the animal • Physical exertion of • Animal • Handler

4. Things to remember when handling animals: Don’t leave animals by themselves – they are herd animals and like to be in groups.

5. Eliminate obstacles including: • Light/dark situations • Barriers • Hanging Chains • Sharp Objects • Untrained dogs or other animals

6. Flight Zones • Flight zone is defined as an • animal’s personal space. • When you penetrate the • flight zone, the animal moves. • When you retreat from the flight • zone – theanimal stops. • The flight zone factor is shared by • all species of animals including humans.

7. Blind Spots • Cattle possess wide-angle or panoramic vision • They have panoramic vision of 300 degrees (Humans panoramic vision is only 180 degrees) • This allows cattle to see behind themselves without turning their head except for a small blind-spot directly behind their ears

8. Blind Spots This wide-angle vision allows a group of cattle on the move to maintain visual contact with each other – allowing the herd to stay together.

9. Point of Balance • In animals the Point of Balance is generally defined as in line with their shoulder. • To move an animal forward – you must be behind the point of balance • To move an animal back – you must be in front of the point of balance

10. To start movement, approach the animal just behind the point of balance and move back into positions A and B. Always avoid getting into the blind spot as entering the blind spot will cause the cattle to stop, turn, and look at you as they want to know where you are at all times.

11. Handling Tools • Handling Tools are primarily used as an extension of the handler’s presence. • Examples of Handling Tools: • Sorting Stick • Paddle • Push Board • Whip • Show Stick

12. Summary • Animal Behavior – Understanding animal • behavior can help prevent injuries, stress • and physical exertion. • Flight Zone – Approach the animal slowly • to decrease the size of the flight zone. • The tamer the animal – the smaller the • flight zone. • Blind Spots – Animals have blind spots. • Entering or exiting from an animal’s blind • spot can frighten the animal.

13. Summary • Point of Balance – Using the animal’s point • of balance can help you to stop the animal • or get it to go in the direction you want. • Handling Tools – Primarily used as an • extension of the handler’s presence.

14. Supplemental Materials • To be used after teaching the lesson to • supplement the learning that happened. • 2 New Activities in Proper Handling and • Care lesson: • Alphabet Race • Memory Game • The purpose of these activities is to assist • the participants in understanding words • and terms used in LQA&E Level 1, • Lesson 5 – Proper Handling and Care.

15. Alphabet Race Game • Divide group into two teams. • Arrange a set of alphabet cards face up • (randomly) on each of two tables that are • 15 – 20 feet from two starting lines. • Direct each team to stand behind their • starting line. • Have your list of words/terms ready – call • out a word/term. • Each team must send a player forward for • each letter of the word/term. • First team to hold up the letters to • correctly spell the word/term gets a point.