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Temple Grandin's Guide to Working with Farm Animals: Safe, Humane Livestock Handling Practices for the Small Farm
Award-winning author Temple Grandin is famous for her groundbreaking approach to decoding animal behavior. Now she extends her expert guidance to small-scale farming operations. Grandin’s fascinating explanations of how herd animals think — describing their senses, fears, instincts, and memories — and how to analyze their behavior, will help you handle your livestock more safely and effectively. You’ll learn to become a skilled observer of animal movement and behavior, and detailed illustrations will help you set up simple and efficient facilities for managing a small herd of 3 to 25 cattle or pigs, or 5 to 100 goats or sheep.
192 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2017
78 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Temple Grandin
158 books1,787 followersMary Temple Grandin is an American academic and animal behaviorist. She is a prominent proponent of the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. Grandin is a consultant to the livestock industry, where she offers advice on animal behavior, and is also an autism spokesperson.
Grandin is one of the first autistic people to document the insights she gained from her personal experiences with autism. She is a faculty member with Animal Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.
In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, named her in the "Heroes" category. She was the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning biographical film Temple Grandin. Grandin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements.
Grandin is one of the first autistic people to document the insights she gained from her personal experiences with autism. She is a faculty member with Animal Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University.
In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, named her in the "Heroes" category. She was the subject of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning biographical film Temple Grandin. Grandin has been an outspoken proponent of autism rights and neurodiversity movements.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 9, 2025
5★
Simply the best animal handling resource for farmers and ranchers.
Somehow you’ve graduated from a dog and a cat to chickens and then maybe a pony and a house cow, and eventually ended up on a farm or a ranch. With livestock. Animals that may not have names. Animals that you can’t necessarily tell apart. Animals that definitely prefer each other to the likes of you and might try to trample you, given half a chance.
This is the book you need.
Or maybe you’ve grown up on a ranch or farm and have raised livestock all your life with parents and grandparents, in which case you’ve probably seen most of the mistakes people make when they’re trying to figure out why you can’t move sheep and cattle exactly the same way.
This is the book you need.
Temple Grandin is a well-known authority on livestock behaviour, partly because she had to figure out her own behaviour first. Autistic and difficult, Temple had a difficult childhood was a trial for all around her. But she saw things that other people didn’t. She spent time on a farm, watched the animals, and began to understand why they do what they do. (You may have seen Clare Danes playing her in the story of her life, “Temple Grandin” in 2010.)
This is the result of that understanding. This is not a book for people who consider meat-eating abhorrent. Get the gardening book you’ve had your eye on instead.
I will begin at the end. Her last section is “Thoughts About Eating Meat”. Mine are similar, and I came to them the same way, while in the cattle yards, admiring our new calves and their mothers (some of whom DID have names).
Grandin writes:
“One day, I was standing on a long overhead catwalk at a stockyard and chute system I had designed. As I looked out over a sea of cattle below me, I had the following thought: These animals would never have been born if people had not bred them. They would not have known life.
I feel very strongly that all the animals that are raised for food should be raised in systems where they have a decent life. I am very concerned about welfare problems caused by poor stockmanship or neglect. . . .
Our relationship with meat animals should be symbiotic. ‘Symbiosis’ is a mutually beneficial relationship between two species. . . when caring people are good stewards of both the animals and the land, the relationship is truly symbiotic. . . nature can be very harsh . . . [some] predatory animals often dine on another animal’s guts without killing it first. When an animal quietly walks up the chute at the slaughter plant and death is instantaneous, I feel peaceful.”
I only wish that all livestock were cared for as kindly and ended their days so calmly. There is a section where she discusses slaughter in some detail (not gory, but explicit), so you can understand why she says what she does about managing animals quietly .
This book is full of facts, anecdotes, short summaries and dot points for easy learning, and the most wonderful, full-colour photographs!
There are countless simple diagrams of where a person (handler) should stand in relation to a single animal, a small group, or a herd in order to 'ask' them to move in a certain direction. You don’t have to shout and swear and wave frantically. You just have to let them know where you are, and they will do the rest.
It’s an art as much as a science, and she states often that these tactics don’t work with pets or animals that are happy to walk up to you. It’s for herd animals, and depending how familiar with you they are, they will react in particular ways – face you, turn away, move away – depending on what you do.
There’s also advice on how to give ‘treats’ to cows or other stock to reward them and encourage the behaviour you want.
There’s a lengthy section at the end with designs for everything from small, portable yards that can be carried on a trailer to bigger, permanent yards for larger holdings.
I can confirm a lot of what she says from my own experience. Shadows, clanking chains, distracting noises, startling movement – all of these disturb cattle who will pretty happily follow each other single file if you encourage them in the right direction.
Cattle are easy to call with feed. That’s when a noise is useful – the truck horn will bring them from every corner, looking for hay. A friend who was renting out a cottage on his farm told me the young woman who was living there had come home one evening and was scared when seeing a few steers on the track . . . so, she honked her horn. BIG MISTAKE! Poor thing was surrounded and terrified, but she knew better next time.
Sheep are different, pigs are different, deer are different, and goats – well goats are so different they may climb up into trees to browse, making them hard to contain.
I kept remembering many anecdotes of my own while reading this, which made it extra fun for me, I’m sure.
One was when my husband rode down on a quad bike to check the cows and calves, who were in a new paddock, and he arrived to find the gate had been pushed open and the young steers had all wandered in to help themselves with the fresh feed.
Panic stations! Fortunately, there was a set of yards not too far away, so he rode onto the track along the fence in the paddock to begin heading them back out. A soon as the steers saw him, they all turned around and, giving him a wide berth, walked out through the gate behind him! Just like a bunch of naughty kids, they knew they’d been sprung, and they left.
That’s what it seemed like, but probably, they just didn’t want to be chased by a motorbike, and when they saw an open gate, they took the opportunity to 'escape'. Funny boys they were.
Dogs are mentioned, but mostly just in relation to when not to use them. Ourselves, we found that moving cows with young calves was harder with dogs, because the mums spent all their time turning around to keep an eye on the dogs.
Some dogs will run behind YOU for protection, which is mighty scary when there’s a big, hefty Brahma-cross bearing down on it! So dogs stayed home or stayed put on the back of the bike (if they had to be there at all), which the cattle seemed to accept.
But animals are curious, particularly the young ones, and I spent many happy hours perched on my quad bike with a notebook, noting which cows and calves were doing well or poorly (all were tagged), and if I were facing forwards and put my hands on the carrier rack behind, sure enough, some calves would wander up to lick my fingers. If I moved slowly, I could stroke those velvety noses – so cute!
To catch a flighty foal once, I found the easiest way was to hang a bandanna or strip of cloth out of my back pocket, then bend over a bit and pretend to rearrange some sticks at the base of a tree. In no time at all, he was nudging my pocket to see what the rag was, and then he was happy for me to pet him and hold his soft halter.
They were good times, and we are both pretty busted up from various incidents, just because it’s such a physical life, but even Temple Grandin couldn’t have saved us from all of our mistakes.
I’m sure she’ll prevent a lot of unnecessary accidents, though. What an asset she is to the animals and the industry, and what a wonderful contribution she’s made to her field!
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a review copy from which I’ve quoted. The exact wording may change, but I’m sure the author’s sentiments will remain the same.
Simply the best animal handling resource for farmers and ranchers.
Somehow you’ve graduated from a dog and a cat to chickens and then maybe a pony and a house cow, and eventually ended up on a farm or a ranch. With livestock. Animals that may not have names. Animals that you can’t necessarily tell apart. Animals that definitely prefer each other to the likes of you and might try to trample you, given half a chance.
This is the book you need.
Or maybe you’ve grown up on a ranch or farm and have raised livestock all your life with parents and grandparents, in which case you’ve probably seen most of the mistakes people make when they’re trying to figure out why you can’t move sheep and cattle exactly the same way.
This is the book you need.
Temple Grandin is a well-known authority on livestock behaviour, partly because she had to figure out her own behaviour first. Autistic and difficult, Temple had a difficult childhood was a trial for all around her. But she saw things that other people didn’t. She spent time on a farm, watched the animals, and began to understand why they do what they do. (You may have seen Clare Danes playing her in the story of her life, “Temple Grandin” in 2010.)
This is the result of that understanding. This is not a book for people who consider meat-eating abhorrent. Get the gardening book you’ve had your eye on instead.
I will begin at the end. Her last section is “Thoughts About Eating Meat”. Mine are similar, and I came to them the same way, while in the cattle yards, admiring our new calves and their mothers (some of whom DID have names).
Grandin writes:
“One day, I was standing on a long overhead catwalk at a stockyard and chute system I had designed. As I looked out over a sea of cattle below me, I had the following thought: These animals would never have been born if people had not bred them. They would not have known life.
I feel very strongly that all the animals that are raised for food should be raised in systems where they have a decent life. I am very concerned about welfare problems caused by poor stockmanship or neglect. . . .
Our relationship with meat animals should be symbiotic. ‘Symbiosis’ is a mutually beneficial relationship between two species. . . when caring people are good stewards of both the animals and the land, the relationship is truly symbiotic. . . nature can be very harsh . . . [some] predatory animals often dine on another animal’s guts without killing it first. When an animal quietly walks up the chute at the slaughter plant and death is instantaneous, I feel peaceful.”
I only wish that all livestock were cared for as kindly and ended their days so calmly. There is a section where she discusses slaughter in some detail (not gory, but explicit), so you can understand why she says what she does about managing animals quietly .
This book is full of facts, anecdotes, short summaries and dot points for easy learning, and the most wonderful, full-colour photographs!
There are countless simple diagrams of where a person (handler) should stand in relation to a single animal, a small group, or a herd in order to 'ask' them to move in a certain direction. You don’t have to shout and swear and wave frantically. You just have to let them know where you are, and they will do the rest.
It’s an art as much as a science, and she states often that these tactics don’t work with pets or animals that are happy to walk up to you. It’s for herd animals, and depending how familiar with you they are, they will react in particular ways – face you, turn away, move away – depending on what you do.
There’s also advice on how to give ‘treats’ to cows or other stock to reward them and encourage the behaviour you want.
There’s a lengthy section at the end with designs for everything from small, portable yards that can be carried on a trailer to bigger, permanent yards for larger holdings.
I can confirm a lot of what she says from my own experience. Shadows, clanking chains, distracting noises, startling movement – all of these disturb cattle who will pretty happily follow each other single file if you encourage them in the right direction.
Cattle are easy to call with feed. That’s when a noise is useful – the truck horn will bring them from every corner, looking for hay. A friend who was renting out a cottage on his farm told me the young woman who was living there had come home one evening and was scared when seeing a few steers on the track . . . so, she honked her horn. BIG MISTAKE! Poor thing was surrounded and terrified, but she knew better next time.
Sheep are different, pigs are different, deer are different, and goats – well goats are so different they may climb up into trees to browse, making them hard to contain.
I kept remembering many anecdotes of my own while reading this, which made it extra fun for me, I’m sure.
One was when my husband rode down on a quad bike to check the cows and calves, who were in a new paddock, and he arrived to find the gate had been pushed open and the young steers had all wandered in to help themselves with the fresh feed.
Panic stations! Fortunately, there was a set of yards not too far away, so he rode onto the track along the fence in the paddock to begin heading them back out. A soon as the steers saw him, they all turned around and, giving him a wide berth, walked out through the gate behind him! Just like a bunch of naughty kids, they knew they’d been sprung, and they left.
That’s what it seemed like, but probably, they just didn’t want to be chased by a motorbike, and when they saw an open gate, they took the opportunity to 'escape'. Funny boys they were.
Dogs are mentioned, but mostly just in relation to when not to use them. Ourselves, we found that moving cows with young calves was harder with dogs, because the mums spent all their time turning around to keep an eye on the dogs.
Some dogs will run behind YOU for protection, which is mighty scary when there’s a big, hefty Brahma-cross bearing down on it! So dogs stayed home or stayed put on the back of the bike (if they had to be there at all), which the cattle seemed to accept.
But animals are curious, particularly the young ones, and I spent many happy hours perched on my quad bike with a notebook, noting which cows and calves were doing well or poorly (all were tagged), and if I were facing forwards and put my hands on the carrier rack behind, sure enough, some calves would wander up to lick my fingers. If I moved slowly, I could stroke those velvety noses – so cute!
To catch a flighty foal once, I found the easiest way was to hang a bandanna or strip of cloth out of my back pocket, then bend over a bit and pretend to rearrange some sticks at the base of a tree. In no time at all, he was nudging my pocket to see what the rag was, and then he was happy for me to pet him and hold his soft halter.
They were good times, and we are both pretty busted up from various incidents, just because it’s such a physical life, but even Temple Grandin couldn’t have saved us from all of our mistakes.
I’m sure she’ll prevent a lot of unnecessary accidents, though. What an asset she is to the animals and the industry, and what a wonderful contribution she’s made to her field!
Thanks to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for a review copy from which I’ve quoted. The exact wording may change, but I’m sure the author’s sentiments will remain the same.
August 17, 2023
I'm a cowgirl now.
But seriously a must read for anyone who owns livestock and even if you are someone who questions the practice of owning livestock and agriculture. It is an easy ready for a glimpse into how farms function. The last paragraph of this book made me cry.
But seriously a must read for anyone who owns livestock and even if you are someone who questions the practice of owning livestock and agriculture. It is an easy ready for a glimpse into how farms function. The last paragraph of this book made me cry.
March 31, 2022
One step closer to livin' the life. First half is most interesting for those who don't yet own livestock. Understanding how many beast-y animals experience life memory in images not in language was cool. There are so many ways they're communicating! Sort of wish I read this book before I had a dog. Love the legacy of Temple Grandin.
May 2, 2025
DNF (Did Not Finish) at 66%
April 18, 2025-April 30, 2025
"My previous book, Humane Livestock Handling, had many methods, recommendations, and handling-facility designs suitable for large livestock operations."
I was reading this for school, then remembered I don't need to know about farming, nor do I care. So I decided not to finish the book, despite starting it for some absurd reason, and skipped most of the remainder of my classes. I'm sure if you want to learn about farming, this is great, I just don't.
April 18, 2025-April 30, 2025
"My previous book, Humane Livestock Handling, had many methods, recommendations, and handling-facility designs suitable for large livestock operations."
I was reading this for school, then remembered I don't need to know about farming, nor do I care. So I decided not to finish the book, despite starting it for some absurd reason, and skipped most of the remainder of my classes. I'm sure if you want to learn about farming, this is great, I just don't.
July 10, 2018
There are certain books that one comes across at just the proper time in their lives -> Temple Grandin’s Guide to Working with Farm Animals is one of these books. Although I checked out the book from the public library because I was researching the possibility of raising animals on my homestead, I immediately realized this book was something special, covering a topic much broader. The author’s writing style is so unique that I wondered about how she came to be an expert in the field of stockmanship. Other thoughts that came across my mind: is this more than a how-to guide?, is Professor Grandin writing a textbook for students of her classes to purchase as course material?, did the cow-punchers shown in the old western movies I watch know as much about stockmanship?, has the author come across great truth that our society needs to know concerning the symbiotic relationship we humans have with our animal partners?
I wanted to say more in my review but after reading the review from pattymacdotcomma (THE BEST BOOK REVIEW EVER!) https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1..., how could I add anything more?
I wanted to say more in my review but after reading the review from pattymacdotcomma (THE BEST BOOK REVIEW EVER!) https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1..., how could I add anything more?
August 20, 2018
I haven't read this from cover to cover (it is after all, a how-to book and so one reads for reference more or less). I have perused things I need to know for livestock I hope to raise, primarily small sheep and goats. (I am also interested in alpaca, this book does not cover camelids.) I have an interest in pigs which are also covered in this book, but not as strongly, and more down the road.
Temple Grandin has spent years observing how animals react, interact, instinctually behave, and think. In addition to the animals listed above, she discusses cattle, bison and horses, although information does not appear to be extensive on horses.
Knowing how your livestock thinks can enable you to handle them with far less stress to both them and yourself. As a small farmer, one's goal is to give those animals in your care the best life possible, independent of the size of your herds or land. She brings up things most people won't know they should consider.
The book is profusely illustrated, with photos and useful diagrams, for both setting up and running your farm. If this is your calling, highly recommended!
Temple Grandin has spent years observing how animals react, interact, instinctually behave, and think. In addition to the animals listed above, she discusses cattle, bison and horses, although information does not appear to be extensive on horses.
Knowing how your livestock thinks can enable you to handle them with far less stress to both them and yourself. As a small farmer, one's goal is to give those animals in your care the best life possible, independent of the size of your herds or land. She brings up things most people won't know they should consider.
The book is profusely illustrated, with photos and useful diagrams, for both setting up and running your farm. If this is your calling, highly recommended!
July 11, 2018
Temple Grandin's Guide to Working With Farm Animals: Safe, Humane Livestock Handling Practices for the Small Farm by Temple Grandin (Storey Publishing 2017) (636.0). Temple Grandin, PHD, is a middle-aged autistic savant. This volume is right in her wheelhouse, for she has made a career of promoting principles of safe and humane livestock handling practices for herdsmen as well as among small farmers. After reading this, there is no question but that the author is a livestock whisperer of the most witchy sort. The book focuses mainly on how to transfer often-massive ruminants between pastures or into enclosures such as corrals. What she has done is to figure out how to manipulate the principles of “personal space” and “body language” and then to communicate the herder's wishes to mammals of other species. It's a singularly impressive achievement. My rating: 7/10, finished 7/10/18.
January 21, 2023
An unusual read for me but very enlightening. After spending 2022 helping a friend with farm tasks, I discovered many news ways to interact with cattle. I've always seen lots of yelling, and sometimes horses and dogs, used to move cattle from one area to another. After reading this book, and observing my friend last year, I realized there are silent ways to move the cows without the added stress put on them! Now I realize the techniques he was using and will be more observant as I walk around the cows this year. Definitely a book for those desiring a safe and more humane way of interacting with their herd.
July 20, 2019
There are two main books by Temple Grandin focused on livestock handling, this being one of them. While the formatting is nicer, and therefore makes this more approachable, I prefer the other which is a little more comprehensive. Still, it should be required reading for anyone who will be working with livestock, whether this book of hers or another, or better yet, a training she does.
July 17, 2017
My wife and I had recently visited a friend who lives out in the country and raises some farm animals. That led me to pick up this book at the library. For a totally-breed city boy, the first part of the book was interesting, while the later was too technical in herding stock animals.
April 26, 2019
Excellent information about animal behaviors and which cattle to cull. Nice illustrations for flight zones and correct body structure. Vital book for anyone to read who is getting into showmanship of cattle, pigs, or sheep.
February 16, 2024
Practical tips for working with animals, as well as setting up handling systems. I wish there was more advice for even smaller operations, and more small ruminant details (a lot of focus was on cows, which is understandable), but even without it was a useful read.
December 8, 2017
Interesting and instructive. Well worth reading to help you relate to herd animals more effectively.
February 10, 2018
Fascinating and great for those raising animals.
April 2, 2018
Grandin has a wonderful writing voice that is a pleasure to read. She is full of logic and compassion, which is refreshing in a world where most of us have one or the other.
August 19, 2018
Just finished reading this book and think it should be a required read for everyone who works with farm animals in any capacity.
January 14, 2019
Excellent information about handling a variety of livestock.
July 30, 2020
A truly wonderful human being she is!
December 29, 2022
Wonderful text I added to my class room.
April 23, 2023
A great resource for livestock handling! I enjoyed every page.
February 19, 2024
Makes me feel better about eating cows, even if I don't exactly know what one looks like.
May 29, 2025
Temple Grandin is the master of understanding animals. A must-have for anyone interested in animal handling.
October 12, 2017
Wow! This book was amazing!
This was the first book I have read by Temple Grandin and I am looking forward to reading her others. I picked this one, because my family and I are looking to start a small farm and I want to know as much as I can about each of the animals to be able to best care for them and their needs.
This book provided everything I was looking for! It has information for every size of setup and the depth of knowledge is astounding. I enjoyed the look into animal behavior and how to handle them most of all.
*Thank you to the Storey Publishing and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. *
This was the first book I have read by Temple Grandin and I am looking forward to reading her others. I picked this one, because my family and I are looking to start a small farm and I want to know as much as I can about each of the animals to be able to best care for them and their needs.
This book provided everything I was looking for! It has information for every size of setup and the depth of knowledge is astounding. I enjoyed the look into animal behavior and how to handle them most of all.
*Thank you to the Storey Publishing and Netgalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. *
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews