Cattle Handling Systems Designer

Mark Deesing began his career as a farrier and horse trainer in the livestock industry. In 1993 he met Temple Grandin. They did academic work together through the 1990s and co-authored three books together; “Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals” 1st, 2nd & 3rd Editions (Academic Press, 1998/ Elsevier 2014, 2021), and “Humane Livestock Handling” ( Storey Publishing, 2008). Mark and Dr. Grandin pioneered work using facial hair patterns to predict temperament and fertility in cattle and published several refereed journal articles on their findings.

In 2000, Mark began to study cattle handling design principles, engineering, and drafting with Autocad. What followed was a 20-year career designing facilities as a design consultant for Grandin Livestock Handling Systems, Inc. Mark designed hundreds of handling facilities for all types of livestock, wildlife, and zoo species. He’s traveled around the country and the world visiting ranches, feed yards, and packing plants, consulting on the design of new facilities, troubleshooting problems in existing facilities, and working with producers on improvements in handling practices and cattle welfare. In 2020, Mark retired from Grandin Livestock and began private consulting at Deesing Livestock Systems. He does his design and drafting work in Northern Utah and remains active in the horse industry.