Is a bud box right for me?

Bud Boxes are a simple rectangular pen design which help livestock handlers take advantage of natural livestock behaviour. Its creation is credited to the late Bud Williams who was well renowned for having a special talent for handling animals calmly and successfully.

The Bud Box makes use of two of a cow's innate inclinations. First, when under pressure, cattle tend to prefer to go back to their original location. Second, cattle usually tend to circle something that puts them under pressure (eg., people). This can be attributed to their need as a prey animal to keep a predator in their vision, with their eyes being on the side of their head this is easiest to do by circling.

Bud Boxes can be a fantastic tool in the ranchers arsenal. However they can also be incredibly frustrating to use if they are designed incorrectly or if they just aren’t a right fit for the operator or the cattle.

One situation where the Bud Box might not be ideal is for the new rancher or if you are relying on inexperienced labour. Animal handling expert Temple Grandin acknowledges that the bud box is “not for amateurs. If you don't know what you're doing, you're going to get hurt”.

The Bud Box requires a very good understanding of cattle animal principles because they rely primarily on point of balance which is nearly always the shoulder area, but each animal's “flight zone” can be very different. The handler must be aware of each animal's proximity point in order to use the bud box.

Not understanding these principles properly or incorrectly assessing stock’s flight zones can make the bud box a nightmare to use, and even worse a single mistake can put the operator in a hazardous situation, greatly raising the possibility of injury. Also cattle have excellent memories so it is crucial to handle animals correctly the first time. The stress caused by inadequate handling can make animals much more difficult to handle in the future

That's not the only trick to remember with Bud Boxes, it's also critical to minimize overcrowding; fill the Bud Box no more than halfway. And you fill it more than halfway, when someone walks in or works from the outside, it puts too much pressure on the animals, and they feel trapped. That is when issues arise. Also, don't cram the crowd pen with more animals than can fit in the lead-up lanes to the chute or truck.

Another situation where the Bud Box might not be a good fit are if you have really quiet cattle such as hand fed stud cattle, or daily fed dairy cattle. Cattle who are overly familiar with human contact can be very difficult to move through a bud box as their “flight zones” are simply too small. Similarly cattle which have been bred for quiet temperament can cause the same issues.

Although not as important as the skill required to use one, the design of a bud box is also very important. The dimensions are obviously the first important principle, if a bud box is too narrow or too short cattle will feel too pressured and will either move too fast or put the operator and cattle in danger, or if a bud box is too long or too wide cattle can circle around the operator or mill in a corner. A bud box that is too long can also limit the operator's ability to regulate speed and flow of cattle.

The bud box should ideally be designed so that it is 2-3 times the capacity of the processing or loading alley, e.g. if the alley can hold 6 head, the bud box should be able to hold 12-18, however it is important to note again as noted above that you should never fill the bud box with more than you can fit in the alley, this means it is never more than ⅓ - ½ full. Cattle are not supposed to be stored in a bud box, they should flow straight in and flow straight back out again.

Having said all this, there is no perfect solution, but low-stress cattle handling principles increase profitability and safety in your operation. Maintaining a low stress level in your animals results in better weight gain and disease resistance. Most importantly, it protects both the cattle and the rancher. So if you are confident that your staff and yourself have the necessary skills to operate a bud box then it could very well be one of the best investments you ever make in your cattle operation. Remember to make sure it is designed to suit you and your cattle!