Poor animal movement puts workers at risk by having to force the movement. If there are too few gates, some animals can become separated. Thus, when animals enter the alley, separated herdmates will follow along the inside of the pen. This is often referred to as backwash. There may be problems guiding these pen-bound animals back to the exit gate as their herdmates move away from them down the alley.
Separated animals can become confused or agitated, putting workers at further risk.
Sorting Facilities and Alleyways Keep the design of sorting facilities and alleyways simple. They should provide adequate catch pen space to accommodate cattle being moved to and from holding areas. Several pens are usually preferred over one large holding pen. More pens allow larger groups to be sorted into smaller, more manageable sized groups. For most small operations, a single alley is used for sorting, as well as moving cattle to and from the working area.