One step closer

[flea beetle]

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.

On that already. Friends with one of the band councillors on the closest reserve to me. They bought 15 bison this year already.

[RD414]

We used to have them FB when the boys were younger but middle son who took over livestock end didn’t want to raise them and cattle so sold them off. I do like the 8 foot fence and yes, don’t overstock your land and yes, they will hook you if you let down your guard.

[flea beetle]

Anybody have experience pulling posts in the winter. I have never done it, but wondering if it is possible without wrecking the post? Most are drill stem, but some are wood.

Comes out easy, or wait until spring/summer?

[flea beetle]

My friend is saying that it is too stressful on the animals to move the bison by truck home to feed for the winter? Is this true?

I would like to put the handling system at home to wean/vaccinate etc. in the fall/early winter, and feed them at home for the winter. But I have ideal pasture land a couple miles away from the home quarter. Surely bigger producers aren't putting handling systems on a half section here and a section there? They must truck them home to feed like cattle producers do?

[shtferbrains]

Anybody have experience pulling posts in the winter. I have never done it, but wondering if it is possible without wrecking the post? Most are drill stem, but some are wood.

Comes out easy, or wait until spring/summer?

We pulled some bigger posts last fall late I think they were 6ft x 4 to 5in.
Some areas in the shade near the bush were frozen in a little and you had to wiggle them around a bit to get them to pop out. Maybe broke a couple off. Easily break a light chain. Never know till you try but if you ground is frozen I think you will be waiting till it's totaly thawed.
Not sure how you pull drill stem. Might be hard to get a grip on them.

Always be on the lookout for good used power poles as the make great corner and gate post. Cut them to the length you need.
Im sure the power guys pull poles in the winter.
Maybe talk to them.

[burnt]

Anybody have experience pulling posts in the winter. I have never done it, but wondering if it is possible without wrecking the post? Most are drill stem, but some are wood.

Comes out easy, or wait until spring/summer?

Back in about 2011 we had sold off most of the cows and I tried taking fence down in the winter so I could break up hay and pasture ground. Rolling up the hi tensile was easy enough, but after breaking about 2 or 3 out of the first 5 I decided to leave it until spring. Once the ground thawed I didn't even need a chain on the wooden posts, just put the cutting edge of the bucket against them and lifted. But then I wasn't trying to save the posts for reuse.

But until you try a few, you won't know what works for you. I've had some success pulling steel posts by wrapping a few wraps of chain around the posts when hooking onto them, which seems to help a bit with the grab.



The subsequent corn and soy crops showed the value of hay in the rotation as the yields were exceptionally good.

Which is partially why I still keep a few cows and hay ground on our farm. The rest of why is just because I happen to like having them around.

Livestock creates a great synergy.

And while it's "Different strokes for different folks", and as someone else mentioned, I would by far prefer to feed cows in a snowstorm and cut firewood when the winter weather is agreeable than try to get to a warm, sandy beach. Whenever I have traveled, home looked better to me than anything I've seen.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Is there anywhere to track historical bison market prices?

About a year and a half ago I spoke with a local producer, this is in the depth of the Covid shutdowns, and he said prices had dropped to a half or a third of their previous highs ( I forget exactly).
Main reason being that most of the market is in restaurants, especially toursit oriented restaurants.

Has that improved any?

The reason I ask, is do they need to command a premium over cattle to be profitable, or given their low maintenance costs, can they be a profitably sideline that doesn't take much time even at beef prices or lower? This situation might drag on longer than we expect.

As for pulling posts, track hoe might be your best chance, or wheel loader. If they do decide to come out, the shock load and twisting on an ag tractor loader might not be a good ending.

Would the welder on each end do any good? Like can be used to thaw out frozen pipes. Can't access the bottom end, but could heat it up right to ground level and that is where the hardest frost would be.
Do any of the vibratory post pounders work as pullers too?

[poorboy]

I have pulled a few drill stem in the winter and found that if I went along with the post pounder first and drove them in 6" it freed them up from the frost and then pulled them out with 2 or3 1/2 hitches of chain. You will have to pull carefully so that you don't bend the drill stem with that much sticking out of the ground. If putting back in the ground, I have a 4" wobble bit for my skid steer that works well for running down a couple feet to help line the drill stem up. A 4" auger bit would probably work ok, but the small auger bits tend to gum up worse with grass and frost.

[flea beetle]

Is there anywhere to track historical bison market prices?

About a year and a half ago I spoke with a local producer, this is in the depth of the Covid shutdowns, and he said prices had dropped to a half or a third of their previous highs ( I forget exactly).
Main reason being that most of the market is in restaurants, especially toursit oriented restaurants.

Has that improved any?

The reason I ask, is do they need to command a premium over cattle to be profitable, or given their low maintenance costs, can they be a profitably sideline that doesn't take much time even at beef prices or lower? This situation might drag on longer than we expect.

As for pulling posts, track hoe might be your best chance, or wheel loader. If they do decide to come out, the shock load and twisting on an ag tractor loader might not be a good ending.

Would the welder on each end do any good? Like can be used to thaw out frozen pipes. Can't access the bottom end, but could heat it up right to ground level and that is where the hardest frost would be.
Do any of the vibratory post pounders work as pullers too?

Calves were as high as $2000, and high quality breeding stock were as high $7500/animal. Right now, calves are $500-$800, and breeding stock are around $2500-$3000/animal.

My understanding is that the highs are very high, and the lows are very low. Was told you have to be able to carry your animals through the lows to make money at bison. It is expected in the bison industry more so than cattle to carry animals over an extra year or two.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Calves were as high as $2000, and high quality breeding stock were as high $7500/animal. Right now, calves are $500-$800, and breeding stock are around $2500-$3000/animal.

My understanding is that the highs are very high, and the lows are very low. Was told you have to be able to carry your animals through the lows to make money at bison. It is expected in the bison industry more so than cattle to carry animals over an extra year or two.

Sound like you would be getting in at the right time. Much easier to make money when you buy in at the lows.
Do they average one live calf per female?
So a bison calf can be kept an extra year or 2 and not lose value as a butcher animal? Or did that only apply to breeding stock?