The Rural Voice, 1998-07, Page 33wild animals that are difficult to
handle is a key to success.
While the cow herd gets nothing
but pasture and hay year round, the
Mountains promote good breeding
success by turning the cows into a
lush piece of pasture July and August
as breeding season approaches. (They
use a rotational system of grazing
with four large paddocks to give the
pasture a 30 -day rest period while
maintaining large enough areas that
the buffalo have the space they need.)
"It's their natural way of flushing,"
Aaron says. "These are a prairie
animal and if there was drought they
would shut down their reproductive
system."
With
experience he has leaned
toward a combination of
orchard grass and white
clover in pastures. The
orchard grass can be eaten right off
but bounces back. Grey County can
grow grass as well as anywhere in the
province, Aaron says.
"It's a great area to have the
buffalo," Arlene says of the high,
light land. "They stay outside year
round. We don't worry about them
getting leg problems."
The land is naturally drained,
Aaron adds. In spring or fall the
animals never get muddy as they do
in other areas of the province.
In winter the buffalo get large
round bales of hay and supplemental
salt and mineral. They eat snow for
water, saving the hassle of trying to
keep waterers functional (if snow
gets packed down or becomes crusted
from a thaw, additional water must be
provided).
Space requirements are very
comparable to grazing beef cattle, so
Arlene often advises people
interested in getting into buffalo to
check the cattle recommendations of
their local OMAFRA office. Buffalo
will survive on marginal land but
they won't thrive on it, she says.
They have about two acres per
animal on their farm, Aaron says, but
you could probably get by on less if
the pasture is good.
Remember that they are used to
space. Their first instinct, if startled,
is to run away from danger. "The
closer they're confined, the better the
fence has to be," Arlene says. "If they
feel confined, they'll hit it. If they
have lots of room to run then they run
to the other end of the field, then
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JULY 1998 29