Foyle Farms of Excellence: Maximising Farm Safety & Bud-Box Design

Farm safety is at the top of our priority list at the Foyle Farms of Excellence. Our state-of-the-art handling facility which was installed in 2022 demonstrates the highest safety features, and is based on the ‘bud-box’ system developed by US cattleman, Bud Williams. The design includes man escapes in all pens and no vertical bars along the race, this will help protect the welfare of cattle handlers and mitigate the risk of accidents.

“There are 120 cattle coming on and moving off this farm every week. The handling system needs to be easy to manage and allow stock to run through.”

Andrew Clarke: Agriculture Manager

The simple concept relies on cattle behaviour wanting to move away from humans and return to where they were originally. Cattle have a flight zone which refers to the area around the animal where is feels secure, when an individual enters this zone the animal will move to maintain a safe distance. Once cattle are moved into the main handling pen, the handler will move along the man escape encouraging cattle to move away from them, a sheeted gate is brought round to line up with the race and cattle then travel up the race. The system has a double race to better suit animal behaviour as cattle move better in pairs which then merges into single-file. The system is also installed with anti-jump rails, anti-backing bars, sheeted sides and a Clipex HD2000 automated crush. To further prevent slipping, the race is fitted with rubber and grooved concrete flooring.

The Budbox design aids natural behaviour including:

Animals wanting to back to where they came from

Animals wanting to see what is pressuring them

Animals wanting to go around the handler

Animals wanting to see where the handler wants them to go

Foyle Food Group integrates this system as part of its broader commitment to animal welfare. The Farms of Excellence has become a hub for innovation, highlighting best practices for sustainable farming. For more information or to arrange a visit, contact our Agricultural Team – agricultureinfo@foylefoodgroup.com

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