Early Cattle Prods

• For hundreds of years, cattle prods were simply long sticks with pointed ends. They were used for beating or poking cattle to goad them into moving in a particular direction. Hence, cattle prods are sometimes known as "goads." Because cows have notoriously tough hides, a pointed end was used to prod them because it was the only way to get them to go in the intended direction.
  
  

20th Century Cattle Prods

• During the 20th century, cattle prods changed from largely being made out of wood to being manufactured in plastic or fiberglass. This made them stronger and more flexible than wood, so they could be used to slap cattle on the hide rather than poke them with the pointed end. The ends of cattle prods were also dulled to avoid injuring cows and were sometimes fitted with rubber knobs.
  
  

Alternative Cattle Prods

• Although cattle prods are specifically designed to drive livestock, farmers often use alternatives for that purpose. Sticks and branches whittled down to be used as cattle prods are flexible, enabling farmers to slap the hides of cows rather than poke them. Whiffleball bats are also commonly used as they impact painlessly, but make a loud and startling noise which is effective at driving cattle forward.
  
  

Electric Cattle Prods

• During the 1950s, many farmers began adopting electric cattle prods to drive cattle. These are hollow cylinders containing batteries, with two metal prongs at the end. When the prongs are pressed into flesh, it completes an electrical circuit, delivering a high-voltage, low-amp electric shock into the animal being prodded. Some activists believe that using electric cattle prods is cruel to the animals, although farmers contend that it actually injures them less by not causing bruising.