Cattle

The expert may examine corrals, alleys, chutes, gates, loading areas, fencing, photographs, video, handler actions, animal movement, and the sequence preceding the event. Cattle handling is influenced by both animal behavior and facility design. Oklahoma State University Extension notes that working-facility performance depends on cattle behavior, corral design, and handler skill and discusses principles such as flight zones, herd behavior, crowding areas, and chute design.

Official tags, brands, registration information, certificates of veterinary inspection, sale documents, and other movement records can help connect particular cattle with a herd, owner, origin, destination, or event. USDA APHIS requires official identification for certain cattle moving interstate and recognizes official eartags and, under specified circumstances, qualifying brands or tattoos accompanied by required registration or inspection documentation. For covered cattle and bison, official eartags applied on or after November 5, 2024, generally must be both visually and electronically readable, while qualifying visual-only official tags applied before that date remain recognized. The requirements depend on the animal and type of movement.

Useful materials may include herd inventories, animal-identification records, purchase and sale documents, movement records, feeding and grazing information, weight and production histories, breeding and calving records, photographs and video, handling or transport records, facility and fencing information, incident reports, and relevant veterinary records. Identification documentation can be especially important when the dispute concerns which animal or group was involved; USDA APHIS emphasizes accurate individual and herd identification for livestock traceability.