The Ultimate Stockmanship Challenge & Safe Handling Practices with Malcolm MacLean

Malcolm MacLean has spent his life in the cattle industry working for grazing co-ops, large ranches and feedlots. He currently lives in the Porcupine Hills near Pincher Creek, Alberta with his family. He’s now focused on teaching stockmanship and spreading awareness on low stress cattle handling. He has an online cattle handling school that prepares people for his live hands-on schools. Along with his wife Jenny, a mixed animal veterinarian, they put on the Ultimate Stockmanship School and Challenge. Malcolm is also currently working on a documentary on Bud Williams, and on how Bud’s methods can radically change the cattle industry. The plot revolves around why there has not been a mass adoption of these methods by the industry. On the side, Malcolm is a singer-songwriter, and tries to fit in a few gigs when he can. He also enjoys making videos for his ‘Malcolm’s Ranch Hacks’ channel.

In this episode, we chat with Malcolm MacLean about the Ultimate Stockmanship Challenge that he and his wife, Jenny, are founders of.  This school and competition are held annually at the Pincher Creek Alberta Rodeo Grounds.  The event aims to allow stockmen the opportunity to showcase their skills and focuses on the improvement of the cattle through proper stockmanship.  Malcolm tells us a bit about the history of the Ultimate Stockmanship Challenge, and how it has evolved since it started, as well as the goals of the challenge and how the judging occurs. 

We also talk about what low stress cattle handling is, and what some of the methods are that are used in this approach.  Malcolm shares some of his experiences, and draws on the knowledge of Bud Williams to talk about why it is so important to use low stress methods from both the animal and human perspective.

We wrap up with a bit of a discussion on the cues cattle give us and what you should do if you are charged by a cow. 

The research programs and daily operations at MBFI would not be possible without the funding from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as well as the partnership with Manitoba Agriculture, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC).

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