Stockmanship with Dr. Frédéric Tremblay
Bonnie James
Local Journalism Initiative
SHAWVILLE – A clinic called Contact with Large Animals (Cattle and Sheep): Safe Behaviour was held February 19 at Little Red Wagon Winery as part of the 2024 Rendez-vous agroalimentaires de l’Outaouais. The clinic featured an introduction to stockmanship, or stress-free cattle handling, presented by Dr. Frédéric Tremblay of Bureau vétérinaire Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce (Large animals).
The day began indoors with a presentation on stockmanship theory and stress-free cattle handling. Stockmanship uses a more natural approach to handling cattle based on pressure and release techniques, which work with the animal’s instincts. The methods are similar to those of better-known natural horsemanship, made popular by trainers such as Monty Roberts and Pat Parelli.
Dr. Tremblay said stockmanship has become popular in Western Canada, the United States, and Australia, but its influence has not yet reached Quebec, likely due to the language barrier. He is working on introducing the techniques to Québécois dairy and beef producers who haven’t had access to the information in French.
Dr. Tremblay spoke about the negative affects of stress on cattle: decreased milk production in dairy cows and decreased reproduction in beef cattle. Cows will not bond as well with their calves when stressed. On a large dairy farm, even one handler who is harsh with the animals will increase stress levels in the entire herd. High stress levels are also associated with increased use of antibiotics as the animal’s overall health is negatively affected.
Dr. Tremblay explained bovine behaviour, psychology, and how cattle experience the world through their senses. Since cattle are naturally inquisitive and easily distracted, better results are often achieved in handling cattle by removing distractions and creating a calm, quiet environment. Avoiding yelling and aggressive movements can make a big difference in daily operations. He also suggested reducing loud metal-on-metal noises, such as slamming gates, etc.
Dr. Tremblay went on to explain the zones of influence: the flight zone and the pressure zone and how the animal can be moved forwards or backwards by working with their point of balance. The flight zone and the pressure zone are the areas immediately surrounding the cow, with the flight zone closest to the animal. The “driving pressure” of being in the flight zone will cause the cow to move forwards or backwards depending on the handler’s position relative to the cow’s point of balance, which is at their shoulder. Positioning yourself behind the cow’s point of balance will cause the animal to move forward. Positioning yourself ahead of their point of balance, will cause them to move backwards.
The pressure zone is the area surrounding the flight zone. The “drawing pressure” of occupying this zone will cause the cow to turn and look at the handler and to want to move toward them.
Using pressure and release techniques and working with the cows’ zones of influence and point of balance, the animals can easily be moved into a pen, chute, or loaded onto a trailer.
After lunch, participants travelled to Willow Hollow Farm in Clarendon for the practical portion of the workshop where Dr. Tremblay demonstrated the cattle handling techniques discussed during the morning presentation.
The Rendez-vous agroalimentaires de l’Outaouais is a series of events aiming to giveagricultural producers the opportunity to learn about and discover new approaches, visions, and techniques. The series is organized by the Table agroalimentaire de l’Outaouais (TAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) with financial support from the Government of Quebec, Desjardins Entreprises Outaouais, and the Agriconseils Outaouais network.
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