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Buffalo

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George

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Most of you know by now that I own and run a gravel pit - - - I have a customer that trains cutting horses and is planning to expand.

To expand he is going to add at least one and probably two new training arenas - - - - he is a little short on funds and is wanting to trade me 5 buffalo heifers and a two year old buffalo bull for the sand needed for these arenas.

This kind of fascinates me ( my wife is not quite as adventuresome as me and she does not consider this as a possible opportunity)

Can any of you give me some pros and cons???? He feels I could raise calves and sell them to him and other trainers as they supposedly work great for training cutting horses. The animals he has were all raised on his place and seem docile ( I know better than to trust any animal of this type)
 
George:

My moms boyfriend trains cutting horses and he has told me that there is nothing better to train a good cutting horse than a buffalo. What kind of facilities have you got there for handling them? You need real good facilities if you plan on getting them penned up from time to time.
 
Only experience I've had is you prolly need to build strong, high fence. I don't know how friendly they get if you make "pets" out of them. Sometimes a "pet" buffalo is a dangerous buffalo, just like any other large animal.

Good luck! :)
 
George- I think you are a hands on guy with your stock and bison definately don't fit that description. You can run young bison through cattle handling setups and get by. Don't even think about trying it with mature buffs without proper facilities. I think you probably are much better off sticking to your cows!!!!!
 
I have nieghbors with Buffalo. I'd say that ones been used for cutting could have good diposiitions, but once one is on the fight, it is over. Heard tell once by a guy that worked a saleyard, a Beefalo cow was dropped off. They threw her in with the butcher cows and she gutted several right away. I seen a nieghbor that had them with Llama's have a female Llama killed by a buff that was in a mood. A Buff guy once told me they bought a bunch of cows from a dispersal. They got them home and several Buff Cows killed a Buff Hiefer. Seems that even though they were from the same herd, well they were from different groups in the same pasture, so the fight was on......This same guy bought $24,000 in equipment from me 5 years ago for I think 6 head. A calf got into a Porcupine, he had no way to doctor it and the vet said until he had facilities, he wouldn't touch it.

However, cutting horse folks press them and get by fine and I know they do love having them. If it is something you are interested in, research a bit, make sure your facilities are up for it,

PPRM
 
I have good pens at the barn ( hi-way guard rail 5' high) but most of my pastures are just two strands of hot hi tensil - - - - I'm thinking he needs to find a buyer and then pay for the sand.

He is telling me they have been hand fed twice a day from birth and seems to be able to deal with them well, but they have never been off a two acre area - - - I feel if I turned them out with my cows I might end up with problems
 
What does he think they are worth the rage is over on them and the prices are low.If they were free they would cost too much.I have built trailer's for Buffalo Rancher's one guy had some get out in a wildlife management area ended up shooting and butchering all of them as they could'nt get them caught after 6 month's.I would have the guy sell them and pay for the sand.Sound's more like he want's them for training but want's someone else to have the hassel of keeping them.I'd like too see you graft a twin on one of those hairy beast's.Good luck
 
And I agree with those that tell you to donate your sand, don't add to your troubles by getting into this deal. JMO
 
I absolutely love lookin at buffalo, they are awsome creatures, and would love to be in a situation where I could have a few. BUT I'm not, so no way would I attempt it. I'll just settle for gettin to see them once in a while when I"m up in that country, and enjoy them there. We have a neighbor that has a few, they've never gotten out or anything, but they look pitiful. They aren't skinny or anything, but just not what a Buffalo Should Be.
 
When buffalo are happy in a place one strand of baler twine will keep them in-but if they decide to go places the Berlin Wall wouldn't work-they are incredibly agile animals. I remember one year at our rodeo we let out three bronc riders and three buffalo riders at once-not for the faint of heart lol.
 
Long ago, when we were in Wyoming, one of our friends worked for a ranch that brought the first buffalo into that country and not a whole lot was known about them.

They made the mistake of unloading the bull first and he took off. Went through the corral and got out, like wayyyyy out. They managed to keep the cows in and the next day went looking for the bull. When they found him, they couldn't do anything with him. So they did what all good cowboys do when they can't gather what they are after. They roped him. Only it killed him because they don't have a good windpipe, like a cow. So the guys died a thousand deaths having to ride back and tell the owner what happened to his expensive Buffalo bull.

Everything I ever heard about them is either a problem or expensive.
 
Sometimes a "pet" buffalo is a dangerous buffalo, just like any other large animal.

In SD, we had a neighbor who was killed by his pet buffalo. Hand raised from a calf, it was running through a gate the guy was holding and just shook his head at him, playful-like. The problem was that calf was now a full-grown cow with horns that happened to hook him and ripped him from his sternum up to his neck.

So far as keeping the things, my husband was herd manager for a 5000 head buffalo ranch. (no, it wasn't Turner)

--Fencing: We just had five foot high woven wire with two strands of barbed wire on top making the entire thing about six foot tall. It usually kept them in, but I learned that when a buffalo decides to wander, even a really hot fence won't keep them in. And they usually decided to wander in the fall. Must still be trying to migrate...

--Working facilities: Just like for cattle, except heavier. Like highway guardrail set with railroad ties. they have to be tall since buffalo can jump. A head catch is a specialized deal that includes a crash gate on the front end since you can't catch them behind the ears and before the shoulders like on cattle.

--Trailers: They have to be heavier than for cattle. A friend of ours, for example, refuses to haul buffalo in his cattle pot because he's had them hook their horns in the vent holes of his pot and actually rip them bigger.

--Market: they are in the dumper. Despite what a buffalo steak sells for at a tourist stop in the mountains, very few people are even breaking even on buffalo anymore.

--Putting them out with your cattle: Probably no problem. But, the ranch we were on, the owner decided it would be just fine to let his stud horse run in the bull pasture over the winter. The bulls gored a hole in his flank. He recovered okay, but it could have been much worse.

So I guess to echo everyone else, I would say thanks, but no thanks. Unless he only wants a couple yards of gravel that is, then I might consider it. :wink:
 
I have decided that the best thing to do is to take cash or hay for the sand - - - If there was a good market for the meat I could put them in a feed lot ( guard rail 5' high) but I can't find a market here. I hope he can find someone to buy them.

If anyone out there needs some to train cutting horses I'm sure he would make them a good deal. It is amasing to watch him train his horses with them - - - the buffalo never seem to go stale. He started with 4 cows and one bull several years ago and now has about 20 altogether. He wants to keep about 12.

He needs about 70 tri axel loads of sand at about $100.00 per laod delivered and spread. I try to keep an open mind but after the input from all of you I don't feel buffalo are in my plans.

Thanks to all !!!!
 
I'm not sure why, but all this talk kind of reminds me of a story about a Sandhills rancher. He died a few years ago, but was a legendary cattleman and horseman in his day. He judged quite a few Quarter Horse shows at one time.

On one occasion, he was judging a halter class of horses, and most of them were quite show-worthy. There did happen to be one old kid from up at the head of the crick that had a horse that really looked quite rough and out of place at the horse show. This rancher sidled up the young man holding the halter, and said, "I'll bet you'd just fall over dead if I proclaimed your horse the champion of the show." The fellow kind of blushed and mumbled, "Yes, I probably would." The judge reassured him, "Well, I just saved your life." :wink:
 
Good story Soapweed! But that story raised a question in my head about kids and horse competitions. Is it fair that some children's folks are buying them very expensive fully trained horses to compete on while others are competing at shows or in high school rodeos on ranch horses? And since it's not in my opinion what could be done to help make the stakes more fair?
 
Yes I feel I made a sound decision - - - but the decision was in asking all of you for help.

I am grateful for your help and consider this to be a great help.
 
CattleRMe,
we could care less who bought which kid what where we are, you can spot them a mile away, what we preach is that you do what is in the best interest of the kid. Sometimes you have the ranch kid win who did the hard work, sometimes you have the spoiled kid win that had their parents buy them a win. What matters is that you helped mold a person whether it be by persiverense, hard work, or being humilitated with a bought horse, steer, lamb, pig. In our little county as it is, we have even had people bring in steers bought and paid for at some show steer sale. I am a firm believer in showing what you raise. Did I mention that my kids have more buckles than those bought steers and my kids have more confidence, pride and determination than those others? Making rules only leads to the dumbing down of the rest of the kids. You will reap what you sow, I have interviewed way too many kids whose parents bought them the awards and they don't know squat. Just my opinion, spent another Saturday morning teaching the real kids how to balance rations for their steers and the phonies never show up. Did I hear someone say PET PEEVE out loud?
 
sw,

The only thing I would add is kids need to learn, "That's Life". Someone buys a competitor a top horse, well, that's life. Life is not fair. However, I find that the relationship a kid has with their hose and how hard they work has as much to do with success as anythiong. Nothing better than a ranch kid that put in the time and miles winning. In life, someone else will always be able to buy better or be blessed with something, but hard work can often win out,

PPRM
 

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