Low-Stress Stock Handling

All QASP staff are well trained and experienced with working with large animals and employ Low Stress Stock handling (LSS) techniques utilising the flight zone of the animals.

Low-stress livestock handling is an approach to managing cattle, sheep and other herd animals that aims to minimise stress and improve their overall wellbeing. The key is in first observing and understanding the natural behaviour of the animals - why and how they act the way they do - and then using that knowledge to work with the animals rather than against them. In a way, it's effectively learning how to 'ask' the animals to do something for you, rather than forcing them to do it.

At QASP, a large part of our time each day is spent working with the animals to improve their comfort in a variety of handling situations. This means slowly building them up to the eventual chain of behaviours that may be required of them, for example on a day when blood tests need to be taken or medications given. It is vital that we make an animals first experience with handling or an environmental change as low-stress as possible, so that they are willing to do it again and more easily the next time it is required. We also apply this 'welfare-first' approach when managing changes to housing, diet and water, always considering habituation periods and the potential effects of introducing too many changes at any given time.