One step closer

[Old Cowzilla]

Neighbor had Bison they weren't hard to keep in with good fence and did respect a hot wire too. But need good pasture like everything else and if pasture was so -so the cows would not even get in calf to begin with. And the burgers are very tasty !!!!!!! Good luck.

[shtferbrains]

Lots of guys that are left love thier Bison.
Wish you all the best and hope you like the buisness as much as I enjoyed having cows.

2 bits of advice free so worth nothing.

Bison are and always will be wild animals no different than the tigers in that Joe Supid show.
Friend of mine used to try tame the cows down with a pail of oats till one hooked him from behind for 75 stiches cause she wanted hers.

Also all females or males arn't breeding stock same as any other species.
Only with bison the best of the gene pool were shot first when they exterminated them. Most herd all that was left we the smallest dinks that wern't worth going back for. Get someone you can trust to help you get a good start with some good stock will save you 20 yrs trying to breed up.

Bison have been very stable recently but don't fall for any easy money stories. Lots of work getting them to market once your get past driving out in the pasture shooting one for freezer meat.

Again DYOD. Hope you find it your favorite part of farming.

[flea beetle]

If you are building new fence for them, you have to go high and put the posts close together. Confirm with the seller of the animals that he is not selling you fence breakers because they will take that to a level you have never seen before. They seem to like slough grass better than good alfalfa. Brome grass hay is also favoured. Good luck, they are easy as long as they are in, but even if they get out, they will follow their escape route going back and usually want to go back in the hole they made in the fence.

Are you in the bison industry RD?

[flea beetle]

Hmmm, a herd of bison to fight with or shares in Royal Bank...

I am on the low aggravation path flea, but good on you for courting a new venture like that.

But like you we are looking for some sort of alternative sideline that the kids can take an interest in. Grain farm is too small and its not really to their liking. Was looking at a commercial property in Calgary before covid, now dont know what to invest in other than stocks.

I am exposed to the stock market as much as I want to be right now. Not sure which way that is going to turn in the near future. Another reason for looking at investing in something else. Also getting tired of running in high gear all spring, summer and fall…and even half the winter it seems with the grain farm. My friend re-assures me that things will slow down the deeper I get into bison. We will soon find out if it was just a trick to lure me in. Lol

[mcfarms]

FYI ….. there is some reason bison and sheep should not be in close contact. Can’t remember why, but I would recommend you find out before you mix the 2 species on one farm.

scrapie most likely

[blackpowder]

Probably not as good a tax write off as cattle though 🤣

[ajl]

There are a number of bison herds in this general area and the fencing, while more sturdy than cattle fencing, is not that much heavier duty. I am surprised that some of that fence holds bison but I have not seen bison on the loose whenever I have been driving by. A lot of people need better cattle fences than they do have including some next to a rental field of mine. Elk Island park where there are lots of buffalo is in this region as well. They have good fence.

[Sheepwheat]

scrapie most likely

It’s called malignant catarrhall fever. Three km buffer recommended.

[GDR]

You are a bit away from marketing yet, but if I was raising bison I would sell breeding packages to First Nations bands. Just heard another one interviewed this week that has purchased a herd. Happening in lots of places and I think they can get government reconciliation money to get set up. The FN manager guy this week had zero clue about livestock at all ( learning as he goes) but was enjoying the project that started with 14 females and figured it was going to give the band food security. At the risk of sounding racist I think these guys could be good repeat customers for multiple reasons with a blank government cheque.

[flea beetle]

There are a number of bison herds in this general area and the fencing, while more sturdy than cattle fencing, is not that much heavier duty. I am surprised that some of that fence holds bison but I have not seen bison on the loose whenever I have been driving by. A lot of people need better cattle fences than they do have including some next to a rental field of mine. Elk Island park where there are lots of buffalo is in this region as well. They have good fence.

Yes it is crazy, the wildly varied responses you get, when you ask about fencing. Some say 5’ five wire barbed wire is good enough. Then the next guy says 8’ elk fence is the only way to go, or you will be sorry.

I ended up getting 8’ game fence with 12’ drill stem posts for my first quarter from the same guy that sold me the handling system. I have to take his fence down, but it is 1/5th the price of buying drill stem now, and new game fence wire.