Cattle and Buffalo

[apbender]

I have been interested in getting cattle for quite some time now and my first opportunity to rent some pasture has came up. There are buffalo in the next pasture over and I have been having some friends tell me that it isn't a very good idea to put cattle next to buffalo because of all the diseases that can be transferred between the two. So I was just wondering if anyone could help me and tell me if any of this is true and if it is true is there anything I can do to make this pasture work anyway

Thanks for your help!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Make sure you vaccinate your cattle and keep the on a good vaccine program. Don't see it as any different than other cattle.

 

[wacocowboy]

I don't know anything about buffalo and diseases but they will go through a fence if they really want to. A friend and I stood and watched a bull push through a pretty good 6 strand barb fence.

 

[AllForage]

Lots of folks here run them together. Although they are wild animals and should always be watched, some people have gotten them to be manageable. I doubt there are any diseases that are particular to bison and out of the ordinary for cattle. If you share fences you should be vaccinating for prevalent stuff anyhow.

 

[apbender]

Alright thanks for the help guys!

 

[Muddy]

Lots of folks here run them together. Although they are wild animals and should always be watched, some people have gotten them to be manageable. I doubt there are any diseases that are particular to bison and out of the ordinary for cattle. If you share fences you should be vaccinating for prevalent stuff anyhow.

I do not know anyone runs cattle and buffaloes together, they don't want having their cattle got mauled or killed by the buffaloes as buffaloes are being intolerant of other animals that share same pasture.

 

[chippie]

If they were going through the fence they would have done it by now.
having bison next door as far as disease goes isn't any different if they were cattle.

the bison are probably worth more than your cattle anyways. you should see how much the meat costs and people line up to buy it.

 

[AllForage]

Lots of folks here run them together. Although they are wild animals and should always be watched, some people have gotten them to be manageable. I doubt there are any diseases that are particular to bison and out of the ordinary for cattle. If you share fences you should be vaccinating for prevalent stuff anyhow.

I do not know anyone runs cattle and buffaloes together, they don't want having their cattle got mauled or killed by the buffaloes as buffaloes are being intolerant of other animals that share same pasture.

Well this really surprises me muddy, I thought you have seen/heard it all! Score one for me.

I guess you need to get out more like a few others around here.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I've never seen them in together either, but I have seen the armoured feed trucks they have built to deal with them (some of them will go up and down the side of a truck trying to kill it) but Ive also seen one riding in a convertible and one eating at a kitchen table

http://img2-3.timeinc.net/people/i/2010 ... 281342.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk14 ... ffalo1.jpg

 

[Muddy]

I've never seen them in together either, but I have seen the armoured feed trucks they have built to deal with them (some of them will go up and down the side of a truck trying to kill it) but Ive also seen one riding in a convertible and one eating at a kitchen table

http://img2-3.timeinc.net/people/i/2010 ... 281342.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk14 ... ffalo1.jpg

I think it has do with how the buffaloes were handled. Bottle fed buffaloes/ buffalo calves are easy to work with and they're more tolerant of other animals in same pasture. Buffaloes with little or no human contact, tends to be aggressive to anything that moves in the pasture. Plenty of buffalo ranches here but never saw cattle and buffaloes mixing in same pasture other than an odd pet buffalo in a beef herd.

 

[Big Bucks]

I have one buffalo heifer running with my cows. She was bottle raised as a calf by a high school girl before I bought her. "Buffy" is absolutely the boss of the entire herd, including the bull. There will never be an issue with coyotes or dogs or anything else messing with my cows. She is very protective of her herd and will run a dog or cat clear out of the pasture. I can get within about 5 feet of her. When she hears a calf bawling she is on top of things to see what is going on. I personally haven't had an issue of her taking me but I also don't turn my back on her. I am hoping she is bred to my Aubrac bull and will give us a beefalo calf this summer.

 

[Muddy]

I thought most buffalo cows are usually calving in April-May. I would be surprised if she is actually calving in summer.

 

[WalnutCrest]

Most buffalo cows calve around 9mo after they're bred.