We’ve all seen those cattle—the ones that hold their heads and ears just a little too high, have a wild look in their eyes and bolt the moment you get too close. These are the heifers or cows that can become dangerous at calving time when you try to tag their calf.
At the home of Jeremy Haack, DVM, and his wife, Asia, near York, NE, their cattle are the complete opposite. The Haacks raise around 100 head of Red Angus and docility is a critical trait in their herd.
“We have young children helping, so among other traits, we also select for docility,” Haack said. “We want cattle that aren’t aggressive, won’t wreck facilities or hurt anyone and are easy to handle.”
Austin Schweitzer, owner of Wehrs Feedyard in Milford, NE, said his experience with Red Angus cattle dates back to 2001, when he worked at the University of Nebraska Meat Animal Research Center, which had both black and Red Angus herds.
“I still own a few black Angus cattle but the difference in disposition between blacks and reds is obvious,” Schweitzer said. “Disposition is important for us because cattle that are easy to work with help us maximize our time and profitability.”
The value of a calm herd
The Haacks believe docile cattle are incredibly valuable. They are easier to handle, more predictable when worked and can help keep other cattle calm.
Although Red Angus does not currently have a docility EPD, the Haacks prioritize bulls with high docility into their genetics.
“We’ve had cattle from bulls that weren’t docile,” Haack explained. “With the attitude those cattle had, it’s not worth it for us.”
“Docility is heritable,” Asia added. “We could tell as soon as those calves were born—they were snorty little things.”
Schweitzer agreed. “For our cow-calf herd, anything that’s wild or high-headed, we don’t keep,” he said. “When you think cattle production, you think ‘family.’ Kids or inexperienced teens may be helping and you can’t put a price on their safety.”
For Schweitzer, docility provides peace of mind.
“If I finally get to go on vacation and a young person is helping while I’m gone, I can sit on a beach a lot easier knowing they’re safe,” he said. “I might worry about them not tagging or weighing the calf correctly but I won’t be worried about them getting hurt.”
Docility and handling
Asia agrees that the quiet demeanor of Red Angus cattle is essential for production systems where cattle frequently go through a chute for timed AI, calving assistance or pasture checks.
“You want a cow to move away from you when you step into her flight zone,” Jeremy said. “But you don’t want a two-speed cow—one that only knows how to stop or run. She should just walk away calmly. Two-speed cattle cause problems. They run people over, wreck gates and I’ve even seen first-calf heifers struggle to claim their calf because they ran away when we tried to help.”
While the Haacks’ operation has some predators, Jeremy said it’s beneficial when a cow protects her calf from coyotes without becoming aggressive toward people.
“We’re usually there shortly after the birth to vaccinate, tag, give an oral supplement and weigh the calf,” he said. “Now, if a dog enters the calving pen, that cow may escort it out but there’s a fine line to docility.”
Asia said it’s easy to identify cattle with calm temperaments. She watches how they exit the chute, how quickly they walk into it and how they react to new things.
“If I’m out walking the pasture with our 5-year-old, I might have something novel like a jug of fly spray,” she said. “I expect the cows to be inquisitive but not be flighty, running away and taking the whole herd with them.”
Jeremy added that customers often compliment their Red Angus for being easy to work with while still performing as well as black Angus.
“For us, it confirms that Red Angus are more valuable because we need to sell cattle that work for our customers too,” he said. “They have the carcass traits to perform with other breeds known for good marbling.”
The impact of docility on health
While no animal is 100% predictable, Asia has observed that Red Angus cattle exhibit more consistent behavior and fewer erratic reactions.
“It’s reassuring to know I can have my kids around the cattle without worrying about them being flighty,” she said
One of Haack’s veterinary customers highlighted another overlooked aspect of docility—its impact on treating disease.
“My customer was dealing with early pneumonia in his calves,” he said. “I recommended an intranasal vaccine but he replied that he can’t get close enough to his calves to administer it until branding. If you can’t treat that calf, some will develop chronic issues and some may die. With docile cattle, you can manage disease more effectively.”
Schweitzer said raising docile, Red Angus cattle makes ranching more enjoyable while improving profitability.
Flighty cattle increase risk
From his veterinary experience, Haack explained that cattle with high cortisol levels are less likely to respond well to treatment. They also have lower feed efficiency and higher morbidity rates. In a feedlot, flighty cattle are harder to monitor, making it easier to miss signs of illness.
“When you try to pull a sick calf from a pen and it’s running everywhere, its temperature rises and stress increases,” Schweitzer said. “That calf is less likely to respond quickly to treatment.”
Schweitzer noted that feedlots are among the top five most dangerous workplaces, with injuries commonly caused by equipment or cattle.
“Most feedlots can handle just about anything but if it takes twice as long to pull a wild cow instead of a calm one, it wastes time and time is money,” he said. “There are so many ways to get hurt in this line of work.”
He also pointed out that pens of Red Angus don’t require reinforced fencing like those housing more excitable cattle.
“The value of an animal’s disposition can’t be measured, so it doesn’t always get the credit it deserves,” he said.
Docility and meat quality
Asia, who holds a master’s degree in meat science, said docility also plays a role in meat quality.
“We run a farm-to-fork beef program and always notice a difference when docility is at play,” she said. “We feed out 20 to 25 head each year. Our cattle are used to ATVs, tractors, vehicles, people and the dog. The feedyard is near our house and our kids are constantly riding bikes and playing. If the cattle were flighty, that setup wouldn’t work.”
Research supports that calmer cattle produce higher-quality meat.
“When cattle are stressed, especially before slaughter, their bodies release cortisol, which depletes glycogen in the muscle,” Asia said. “This results in darker, sticky meat with altered pH. While safe to eat, it’s not visually appealing compared to a bright cherry red steak.”
Cattle that get worked up before slaughter—whether from being chased onto a trailer or mishandled—are more likely to become dark cutters. Consumers often perceive dark-cutter meat as aged or lower quality.
“Cattle that are easy to handle consistently are high marbling and grade well,” Asia said. “It takes a lot of time, effort and money to raise a calf, wean it, background it and feed it out. Selecting for docility helps ensure a high-quality end product—one we can be proud to share with our customers while promoting the breed.” — Sarah Hill for the Red Angus Magazine
