Voluntary acceptance of restraint by sheep (1989)

Grandin, T.

Abstract

Training technique is described and documented with a photo to make sheep to be voluntarily restrained in a tilt squeeze table for a grain reward. All sheep movements from the crowd pen into the race and squeeze tilt table were voluntarily. No hock boards or gates were used to prevent sheep from backing out of the race after voluntary entry. ... Fourteen out of sixteen ewes returned for one or more additional passes. ... Training sheep to voluntarily accept restraint would be practical for sheep used in research. ... Labor requirements would be reduced because one person can easily restrain the animals. Stress on animal may be reduced because sheep which voluntarily accept restraint seldom struggle. A relatively tame animal can be trained to voluntarily enter a restrainer in less than an hour [Grandin, 1989].