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Cattle
have wide-angle vision. Cattle have a visual field in
excess of 300 degrees. Loading ramps and handling chutes
should have solid walls to prevent animals
from seeing distractions outside the chute with their
wide-angle vision. Moving objects and people seen through
the sides of a chute can cause balking or frighten
livestock. Solid sidewalls are especially important if
animals are not completely tame or they are unaccustomed to
the facility. Blocking vision will stop escape attempts.
Even
though cattle have depth perception, their ability to
perceive depth at ground level while moving with their heads
up is probably poor. To see depth on the ground, the animal
would have to stop and lower its head. In areas where
animals are handled illumination should be uniform and
diffuse. Shadows and bright spots should be
minimized.
Cattle
have a tendency to move from a dimly illuminated area to
a more brightly illuminated area, provided the light is
not glaring in their eyes. A spot light directed onto a
ramp or other apparatus will often facilitate entry.
Handling facilities should be painted one uniform color.
Cattle are more likely to balk at a sudden change in color.
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