Can we talk Buffalo?

[Thewife]

Hubby wants to get a Buffalo!

Most of our fences are older than the mountains and barely hold the cows.
Do you think one buffalo stay with the cows or would it disappear into the woodwork?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I would be afraid that it would want to disappear.

Is there somewhere you can lock the buffalo with at least some of the cows so it becomes part of the herd? You know somewhere where the fenceing is good? Buffalo are herd animals so if you can get to be part of the herd and not the newcomer/outsider you may not have trouble.

That would be my best guess but, I don't really know much about them. I do know the place down the highway with them has them out on barbed fence but I'm not even sure how many strands.

 

[wynedot55]

a buff will break through any fence an roam when it wants.i think the only way to hold them is a 6 or 8 wire high tensile fence thats super hot.an you have to keep it hot.an even then he prolly will bust through.they are very dangerious to work handle an be around.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

What about a welded wire fence? Could she use that in a small pasture for it?

 

[wynedot55]

no if it got spooked it would blow through the fence.i dont even know if she could us a steel pipe fence for it.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

How do they keep them on the buffalo farms then?

 

[wynedot55]

they use high tensile hot wire fences.you can prolly use a 6 wire barbed wire fence.

 

[Thewife]

I really don't know anything about them either. If my big corral was done,(chainlink) I guess I could lock one up with a few calmer cows and hope they bond?

A friend has kept a few with his herd throughout the years. He has welded wire with 3 strands of barbed wire on top. He runs a hot wire too. He also only keeps cool, calm cows!

The getting spooked thing is what is making me think on this. Since I already have a couple that "might" be a little high strung, the whole idea seems kinda scary to me!


I talked to a guy the other day that told me he heard of some one crossing Brahma with Buffalo? That, I would like to see!(not have, just see)

 

[steerrider]

I have kept bison for trick training and riding and even the tame ones are wild animals. People think they look cool, and they do. However they have special needs. A bison will walk through a hot wire. Thier wool and hide allow them to do this with out even feeling a shock. So don't waste your money on eletric fences. They don't see well, so make sure what ever fences you have they can see. Tying bits of old sheets cut up on fences that may not be that good, help them see them.
They will need scratching posts. I burried trees/logs about 6' tall and about 3-4' around at random places in the pasture. With out those scratching posts I would have no pole barn or fence posts. You also need to remember they are herd animals. If they don't have a bovine buddy.. they will leave and go get one.
When I was a kid we spent every sat/sunday rounding up the bison so the sherriff wouldn't shoot them. When I got my own place I could make the changes I thought as a kid "gee.. why don't they just........"
bison are not pets.. they don't want to be your buddy, and they have wild instincts. That means if you spook them.. they can and will react.
I highly advise learning all you can about them befor brining one home as a cool pet.

That said.. once you do have your bison and I suggest a calf or 2. If you really spend time with them, work with them, and learn from them they are very rewarding and smart animals that can pull buggys and be riden, even by children if handled right.

The key is learn all you can before you bring one home.
Good luck.

 

[steerrider]

I talked to a guy the other day that told me he heard of some one crossing Brahma with Buffalo? That, I would like to see!(not have, just see)

If you cross bison with cattle its like crossing a horse with a donkey.. you do get viable offspring however with bison the steril gene is sex linked.. only one of the sexes breed, I beleive the bulls but don't quote me on this. This is why the Beefalo assn has taken so much time to develope thier breed. Goodnight (famous tx cattleman) kept bison and cattle and did try to interbreed with poor luck for the same reason.
Today the Bison assn requires that all bison are blood typed to make sure that they are pure bison.. no Longhorn in them before registry , while the Longhorn assn requires no such test. The reason being.. Goodnight did have some success, and the wild cattle and bison did inter breed.

J