Survey: Pen checking practices in Western Canada

A project led by researchers from the University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine is looking into what makes pen checkers successful.

Over the years, efforts have been made to develop systems to automatically detect sick feeder cattle, but feedlots continue to rely on pen checkers.

Some pen checkers are very effective (and have lower re-pull and death rates) while others may require more experience or training to accurately identify truly ill cattle and improve cattle health outcomes.

As part of the project, researchers are asking feedlot workers to complete a short survey. The survey is to identify human and animal factors that have an impact on the identification of respiratory disease in recently weaned feedlot cattle.

• This questionnaire is intended for people that work or have worked at a Western Canadian feedlot evaluating the health of recently weaned calves.
• Your participation is completely anonymous.
• The estimated time to complete the survey is 25 to 30 minutes, and it mostly consists of watching videos of potentially sick cattle, for which we highly encourage to use a big screen or monitor.

This project is supported by University of Saskatchewan Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), and the Government of Saskatchewan.

Take the Survey

Do you have any experience working as pen rider in Western Canadian feedlots? We want to learn how you assess bovine respiratory disease.
Please, answer the following survey: https://t.co/INIhl7XzMz pic.twitter.com/KbNeA7hGIM

— Diego (@DiegoMoyaSask) April 19, 2022