Cargill closer to implementing the use of cattle-driving robots

Cargill Inc. is a step closer to implementing the use of cattle-driving robots that are designed to improve animal welfare by reducing stress and boosting employee safety at slaughter.The Minneapolis-based processor is expected to order two robots for each of its eight beef plants across the United States and Canada and hopes to expand use of the $40,000 machines in situations involving other animals, a Cargill spokesman confirmed in an email to Meatingplace.Plant employees operate the robots from a catwalk above the animal pens, reducing the risk to workers from closer physical interaction with the 1,300-pound animals or other potentially aggressive animals like tom turkeys.