The Rural Voice, 1978-11, Page 12Beefalo breeder
says they have
golden future
by AUce Gibb
Hybrids are becoming the name of the game in farming
whether they're a crop like the new rye -wheat or a cheasant, a
cross between the pheasant and the chicken.
But one hybrid in particular which is receiving a good deal of
attention lately is the beefalo - cattle that are part buffalo and
part domestic cattle.
Lloyd Lostell, RR 3, Kippen, is one farmer who's gambling
that beefalo really are "the cattle with the golden future" as
claimed by one of their original breeders.
The interest in beefalo in Canada started back in 1870 when
Mossom Boyd of Bobcaygeon, in eastern Ontario. the man who
developed the polled Hereford in Canada, became interested in
mating a buffalo calf with some of his domestic cows. When his
experiment worked, Mr. Boyd named the new hybrids Cattalo,
and in 1914, published a research paper on his findings about
raising the crossbreeds. However, when Mr Boyd died, the
interest in Cattalo waned.
Then in the 1950's, Bud Basolo, a California rancher, decided
totry to cross buffalo and domestic cattle on his ranch.
The idea behind Basolo's experiment was to develop an animal
that ould be raised on grass and other roughage to save on costly
feed grains and an animal that could withstand more extreme
temperature ranges.
In 1971, after 15 years of experimentation, Bud Basolo was
successful in overcoming the problem of sterility in hybrid cattle
and the beefalo was born.
Mr. Basolo, the man who predicts the golden future for the
cattle, overcame the problem of sterility with Joe's Pride, a
fertile bull who is three eighths Charolais, one quarter Hereford
and three eighths buffalo.
By 1974, Basolo had over 5,000 head of the new hybrids on his
ranch and the calves were weighing between 50 and 65 pounds at
easy births, were strong, and started sucking right away like
their buffalo ancestors.
Also, the calves gained weight faster than domestic calves and
sane beefalo reached a weight of 1,000 pounds in nine months.
The California rancher also claims his beefalo are hardier and
more disease resistant than beef cattle. For example. buffalo
never suffer from pinkeye, and it's hoped the same will prove
true of beefalo.
Lloyd Lostell first learned about beefalo at a Farm and Country
show in 1976 and he was immediately attracted by the idea of
starting a herd of the animals.
Today, he has 25 halfblood beefalo and is a staunch defender
of the new breed of cattle.
Mr. Lostell, who works at the Bendix company in Hensall, said
his farming used to be strictly a hobby, but since he's gone into
beefalo, it's a hobby no longei.
The farmer started his herd with a half beefalo bull which he
saw advertised for sale in a local newspaper. The bull is now two
and a half years old and the Lostells have a number of calves
which are one-quarter beefalo.
A beefalo heifer is considered "full blood" when she is 7/8
beefalo. This means when a new breeder starts with a hereford
'PG. 12 THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1978
Beefalo breeder Lloyd Lostell
cow and beefalo semen the hybrid calf that's born will be half
beefalo and half domestic. The female calf must then be bred
back beefalo when she cycles and the process repeated until a
full bood is produced.
Lloyd Lostell said five people in his immediate area are now
raising beefalo calves.
His own breeding has crossed herefords and Charolais with
beefalo. Bud Basolo has been quoted as saying the one breed of
domestic cattle which can't be successfully crossed with the
buffalo are cattle with Angus blood.
The cross which Basolo himself prefers is 3/8 buffalo, 3/8
Charolais and '/. hereford.
Since the California rancher developed the beefalo strain,
semen has been sold to Pakistan, Guyana, Venezuela and
Nigeria as well as Canada.
Since the beefalo can live on sage, cactus, branches, straw and
other roughage, it's hoped the animals can someday be raised in
less developed countries where land is at a premium.
The Lostells have found when they crossbreed their cattle; the
result is always a surprise. Red cows have produced black
beefalo calves and blue -coloured offspring. But the most
distinctive trait of the calves is their heavy navels -looking across
the Lostells' field it's easy to assume the calves are all steers.
Also, according to Mr. Lostell, the beefalo bull can be bred to a
polled domestic cow and the calf might be born with horns.
However, 70 per cent of the beefalo calves born to the Lostells
have been polled.
Another interesting trait both Lostell and his wife noticed in
their beefalo calves is that when they charge something or
someone in tie field. they tend to go through their prey rather
than around it, a trait inherited from their buffalo ancestors.
Bleeders in Western Canada have also noticed beefalo possess a
personality all their own. While the beefalo cattle are gentle and
co-operative for the most part, beefalo cows have a strong
mothering instinct and have been known to attack anyone or
anything they believe might harm their calve,.
Since the beefalo hybrid strain is relatively new Mr. Lostell
found it difficult to get literature on breeding the cattle and what
little material he has comes mainly from Western Canada.
The Beefalo Association of Canada has its headquarters at Ta
Stockholm, Saskatchewan and a number of Ontario Beefalo al
ci