This document is adapted from a fact sheet in the Safe Farm series produced by Iowa State University Extension. This fact sheet was updated February 1994. Farm operators know the dangers of working with machinery, the leading cause of death and injury in the nation's most hazardous occupation. However, many fail to perceive the dangers of working with farm animals. One out of every six injuries on the farm involves animals, or about 350 of more than 2,100 injuries reported by Iowa farmers in 1990.
Animals are the second leading cause of injury on Iowa farms.
Injuries identified with animals include bites, kicks, or situations in which the worker gets pinned between the animal and a farm building, implement, or other fixed object. The best way to avoid livestock injuries is to understand animal behavior. Only by knowing their animals, and what to expect in certain situations, can farm workers protect themselves and others from injury. Animals without proper care pose more danger to humans than ones that are fed and sheltered. This publication, however, deals with animal behavior related to habits, social relationships, maternal instincts, and territorial behavior.