Buffalo

[Anonymous-0]

News had a report about raising buffalo. Apparently it's easier then cattle less fat more protein etc.etc. So why don't more people raise them?

 

[ericlb]

more people are out here in the western us, it taste good! you cook it like beef and its far better for you than beef, almost as low in fat as elk, but they still have a small market yet, and i dont know how the protection thing is with then it used to be totaly hands off, not hunting or anything,now it may still be regulated some

 

[Anonymous-0]

eric,

I don't know anything about buffalos, but I would guess that the reason most people don't raise them is the same as the reason that most people don't raise emus, rabbits, goats, etc. There is a very limited demand for them and very few processors to sell to.

There's a guy near me who has three of them out in his pasture, but I think they are just conversation pieces.

Tom in TN

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sorry 'bout that.

tom

 

[jim in N M]

Lots of them out here in New Mexico, however most are owned by Ted Turner,you know ,the X-Mr. Jane Fonda.-- Jim in N M

 

[Kanuck]

Dont know about buffalo being easier to handle than beef cattle, Got a nieghbour who raises them and he used cut off power poles for fence posts. Have good one eh?

 

[jose bagge]

i've heard that they are impossible to fence...that they are so big and strong that they will tear down most any fence. True?

 

[thurlow]

They's a bunch of 'em at Shelby Farms (open area, pasture, hay, lakes, etc ) in Memphis, TN. They keep 'em behind fences that I woulda been scared to trust my beef cattle behind.

 

[thurlow]

Shoulda put a
Link

 

[Bob]

The fact they are just plain damn mean and nasty and DANGEROUS MAY have something to do with it.

 

[keh]

Someone tried them near me, one problem was that they did not have calves as often as cattle. That's in addition to the behavoir problems mentioned.

KEH

 

[Ron in Nebr]

They're "easier" than cattle in a sense basically 'cause ya just can't DO very much with 'em other than see that they have feed and water, then round 'em up when it's time to sell....being basically "wild" animals, they can withstand extreme weather much better than most cattle....I doubt the guys who raise 'em are out there putting eartags in and otherwise messing around with the newborn calves either....

Ted Turner owns a couple big ranches about 20 miles from us and raises lots of buffalo on 'em. The cost of fences required alone would put an average rancher out of business. And Ted must have good fences- haven't heard any complaints from people who's land borders him about buffalo getting out....although there's TONS of complaints when he comes in to buy more land and outbids adjoining landowners and pays huge prices per acre, thus making everyone's property tax go up...Ted's the largest private landowner in the state of Nebraska.

 

[Old Iron]

A fella south of me, has been advertiseing his buffalo herd of 30 animals, for $18,000. Price sounds pretty fair to me, if anyone is interested I'll see if I can find his phone #.

 

[Howard H.]

One of my good friends from high school - the first one in my class of 27 students of the class of '81 - was killed by one in eastern Colorado.

He was working as a cowboy (he had rodeo clowned for years, so he was no stranger to livestock and he was tough as anyone you'd ever run into), and somehow they were trying to cut a bison from the herd of cattle when he fell/slipped/was hooked into/whatever the corral. It took the other guys 15 minutes to get a rifle up there and kill it and by that time, he was dead.

Them being so wild is one reason...

Howard

 

[Nolan (foxtrapper)]

Small market, interesting to handle. There are several buffalo operations around me here, and I've been around a number of them over the years.

 

[Dave from MN]

Friend of mine name Duke, had 3. They were really tame, almost pets. One day they decided they wanted greened patures. Three neighbors fences later, and 2 sections over, they finally settled down. After a 7mm to the head of each. Local locker hauled them in and the owner made a killing on the meat. Sad for him, but he didnt want anyone getting hurt.

 

[Jim H SW-PA]

I heard tell maybe 40 yrs. back someone was trying to breed "Beefallo" never heard much since. This was in, Clairon Co. PA. There was a fellow about 5 mi from me used to raise osterich,fences are still up but I haven't seen any for awhile.

 

[Jim H SW-PA]

I heard tell maybe 40 yrs. back someone was trying to breed "Beefallo" never heard much since. This was in, Clairon Co. PA. There was a fellow about 5 mi from me used to raise osterich,fences are still up but I haven't seen any for awhile.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You need to have fences that can stop an elephant. Buffalo meat is fine eating in my opinion. I had a buffalo porterhouse the other day. I wanted to see what it was like. $28 frozen, I cooked it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Check into raising them years ago, they are easier to raise in the sense of more diease resitant, being a "wild" animal, will break ice to get at water, and move snow with their heads to access feed. Their meat is fat content is like turkey, and has to be cooked at lower temps. Also hypoallergic, no case of anyone being allergic to them ever found. That being said, they are dangerous, have a picking order in each herd that they are constantly changing. A calf that today will be like a puppy around you the next day will push against to determine picking order. If you push against they come back stronger. Know of one owner/handler whose pet calf gored them because of this instinct. You need to put up shelters for you to hide in the field with. Someplace safe for you to get too if something goes wrong. Remember they can run up 35 mph, jump six feet, and lift a tractor off the ground with their horns/head. They are also smart, regular cattle grates and gates dont work. They will walk across them, need to install rollers on grates. Need high tensile fencing for them. Also market fell on them a few years ago. That being said, a beautiful animal and wish I could raise one or two in the pasture.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I got a close up look at a Buffalo bull many years ago on a trip.I do not want to be anywhere near one again. Half the Yellowstone herd starved to death this winter.Hunters did take many, should have taken more.Ive raised a few hereford bulls.The last one tried to kill me 3 times.On his last try I shot him with a 303 British.Raised him from a calf, always treated him well, didnt help.Best place for a buffalo is in the oven or on a barbeque grill..