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Breeding, Genetics & ReproductionSelecting for Disposition
Calm cattle are safer to work, gain better and are easier to sell. Temperament is partly inherited and partly learned, so selection and handling both count.
Key points
- Temperament affects safety, performance and market value.
- Use a consistent chute or pen score and record it.
- Disposition is moderately heritable and also shaped by handling.
- Low-stress handling and good facilities build calmer cattle.
- Cull animals that are dangerous to people.
Why disposition matters
Cattle that are nervous or aggressive injure people, damage facilities and stress other animals. Flighty cattle can also perform below calmer herdmates, and stress at handling can affect health and meat quality.
Disposition matters most at calving, during processing and at loading. Cows with poor temperaments can be dangerous to approach with a newborn calf.
Temperament also affects labor. A herd that is easy to move and work takes less time, fewer people and fewer injuries, and that matters when help is hard to find.
How to score it
Producers commonly use a chute score or pen score. Chute score rates behavior while restrained, from calm to very wild. Pen score rates the way cattle react to a person in a pen. The Beef Improvement Federation guidelines describe standard scoring systems, and many breed associations accept disposition scores.
Use the same person, the same setting and the same scale each time. Score all animals in the group, not just the ones you notice.
Scores taken when cattle are calm in familiar surroundings tell you more than scores taken after a bad morning. If one animal seems out of character, score her again another day before drawing a conclusion.
- Pick one scoring system and keep to it
- Score calves at weaning or yearling age
- Score cows at working time
- Record scores with the animal's ID
Genetics and EPDs
Temperament is moderately heritable. Some breed associations report docility EPDs. Bulls with calm progeny tend to sire calm calves, and cows pass behavior on in part through genetics and in part through what calves learn from them.
Check the sire's docility record, but also look at the cattle in the seller's pens. Ask to see his dam and relatives and watch how they act when people walk in.
Disposition is only one of several traits, so do not buy on a docility figure alone. Look at it together with structure, calving ease and fertility, and give extra weight to it if you work cattle alone or with children and inexperienced hands around.
Handling and facilities
Low-stress handling reduces fear and builds calmer cattle. Quiet movement, good pen design, non-slip footing and avoiding shouting or hot shots help. Calves handled gently early in life are easier to work later.
Follow safety guidance from extension, NIOSH and OSHA when working around cattle. Never put yourself where you cannot escape, and be extra careful with bulls and fresh cows.
Weaning, shipping and new surroundings stress cattle. Allowing calves time to settle and handling them quietly during processing lowers stress and makes later handling easier.
- Move cattle quietly and give them an escape route
- Keep chutes, gates and alleys in good repair
- Never work alone with a bull
- Have a clear exit and a second person nearby
Culling for temperament
A dangerous animal should leave the herd. Do not keep a cow or bull that has attacked people or that you cannot handle safely. Do not sell her as breeding stock without telling the buyer what you know.
Be aware that a cow that is merely protective at calving is different from one that is consistently aggressive. Keep notes year to year. If the problem repeats, cull.
Keep a written rule about what gets culled, such as any animal that charges a person, and apply it the same way every time.
Effects on performance and sale
Calm cattle often gain better and are easier to feed and handle. Feeders and buyers may discount wild cattle or avoid them. Ask your buyers about their experience, and keep your own records so you can show a documented history.
Temperament interacts with stress, heat, weaning method and nutrition. A bad day does not make a bad animal, so look at the pattern.
When you list animals for sale, be honest about temperament. A buyer who gets a surprise will not come back.
Common mistakes and what to ask
Common mistakes include keeping a wild cow because of a good calf, scoring only after an incident and ignoring handling as a cause.
Ask the seller about docility records and cull policy. Ask your extension office or a handling trainer about low-stress methods. Ask your vet about safe restraint for procedures.
Sources and further reading
- Beef Improvement Federation
- eXtension (national extension)
- Oklahoma State University Extension
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef
Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.