A Brief History
How The American Bison Got Cattle DNA
Frequently Asked Questions About Bison Blend Cattle
Fertile F-1 Bison Hybrid Bulls
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Correct Terms
"Some cattlemen have told me Beefalo ‘aren’t right’. What do they mean?”
“Aren’t bison percentage cattle rank and hard to handle?”
“Why don’t you just raise Bison?”
“I hear they aren’t fertile.”
“Why bother? There are plenty of good lines of cattle out there.”
“What percentage of bison should my cattle be?”
Correct Terms
Even though bison blend cattle have been established for some time now, there are basic questions that hobby breeders to experienced cattlemen ask. This paper should answer those questions about why it makes sense to infuse bison genetics in your cattle.
First of all, the correct name of the American Buffalo is Bison, but the two are used interchangeably, so don’t be bothered if we talk about buffalo or bison in the same breath.
“Bison Hybrids” refers to cattle containing more than 3/8ths buffalo. This term was coined by Beefalo breeders that set the percentage of their cattle from 17 to 37.5 percent bison. So a Bison Hybrid is anything from over 37.5 to 99 per cent bison, and not a Beefalo. Beefalo associations though do register hybrids as “Ancestor” animals, because they are used to develop the 3/8ths blend. Many Beefalo were developed by crossing ¾ bison bulls on regular cows, or quarter blood bison bulls on half bison cows to end up with that exact 3/8th bison percentage.
“Cattalo” was the general term for the cross developed in the early years, from about the 1880’s onward, and you’ll still hear the term today. Cattalo can have any percentage of bison.
“Bison Percentage” “Bison Heritage” “Biso-Beef” and “Bison Blend” are also terms you’ll hear used to describe cattle with some varying amounts of bison blood.
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"Some cattlemen have told me Beefalo ‘aren’t right’. What do they mean?”
For years, there was controversy surrounding “Basolo’s Hybrid Beefalo”.
Beefalo’s creator, Bud Basolo always said that since he couldn’t patent his breeding methods, he’d keep his breeding information a “secret”. To other breeders of bison heritage cattle (like Jim Burnett, etc) it was no secret. They readily explained and documented how they got their fertile crosses.
Basolo’s “secret” set the stage for California Researcher Clyde Stormont. By 1977 Stormont had developed a blood test that could identify 5 bison markers and tested about 150 Basolo Beefalo for bison heritage. Only one in the 150 had a bison blood marker. Stormont’s testing sent a shockwave through the Beefalo breed. This testing lead to accusations Basolo’s Beefalo did not have 3/8ths bison in them and some even accused they might not have any bison content at all.
Did Basolo’s Hybrid Beefalo get a bad rap? Some think so. Stormont’s old blood tests which were cutting edge technology 30 years ago actually were very rudimentary by today’s standards. Now Beefalo are DNA tested for 19 bison markers, yet even the present DNA test may not go far enough. 19 markers is just a small part of the entire DNA makeup of an animal. Bison markers are still controversial. Some bison percentage cattle have bison markers and some, even though they parent verify to bison heritage animals don’t.
Some researchers explain the bison marker issue is compounded by the fact that bison and cattle are much more closely related than originally thought. Many bison used to create hybrids already have some bovine DNA, which could also influence test results. We may not have a complete handle on bison heritage until we get to complete genome sequencing. Currently genome sequencing costs hundreds of dollars and extensive hours of time to complete.
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“Aren’t bison percentage cattle rank and hard to handle?”
The rule of thumb is, “if it looks like a buffalo it will act like a buffalo”. Bison blends under 50 percent manage and handle like conventional cattle. Higher percentages of over 50 percent tend to act more like buffalo.
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“Why don’t you just raise Bison?”
Good question. Bison usually need special handling facilities and stout fences and pens, and they do not handle like cattle. Buffalo are faster, quicker, and smarter. The old saying is, “you can herd a Buffalo anywhere he wants to go.” Buffalo may jump a 6 ft fence flatfooted, and some bison, especially as they grow older have unpredictable dispositions.
Now there are indeed many folks who raise buffalo successfully, however most buffalo mature slowly, and don’t reach breeding age until later than domestic cattle. Bison cows may only have a calf every other year. Bison percentage cattle are a way around that, using the best traits of both animals and many believe their beef tastes better than buffalo.
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“I hear they aren’t fertile.”
Developing bison blend cattle takes time. The first cross, using bison bulls on domestic cows or domestic bulls on bison cows, results in only 10-20 per cent of the cows delivering a live calf. Some have better luck than others. At any rate, the males of this 1st cross are usually sterile and the females are generally fertile. By breeding back F-1 cross females to bison or domestic bulls, fertile blends are developed. At the present time, most bison percentage cattle are well established and some lines have been bred continuously for generations.
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“Why bother? There are plenty of good lines of cattle out there.”
There is a long list of reasons to raise bison blend cattle.
1) They convert roughages to beef in a more efficient manner, they are nonselective grazers and they have inherited a better stomach from the buffalo.
2) They are tough hardy stock, more disease resistant than conventional cattle.
3) The cows are easy calvers and good mothers.
4) The calves have low birth weights, yet have excellent rate of gain, and high weaning rates.
5) Bulls are active breeders, seek out cows in heat and get the job done.
6) They inherit the sweat glands of bison providing a solid outcross on Zebu or Brahma cattle that inhabit the tropic and subtropical regions of the world. At the same time, they also have a denser hair coat having 2 to 5 times more hair per square inch than conventional cattle, so they adapt to colder climates as well.
7) Bison blend cattle are long lived, inheriting their longevity from the Bison.
This means fewer herd replacements needed, as compared to straight cattle.
8) Evidence shows they are cheaper to raise and maintain than regular cattle. They are ideal for producing grass-fed beef, since they do not need heavy grains or special finishing rations. Consumers are demanding safer beef, without growth hormones or antibiotics. Bison blend cattle fit consumer preferences easily for such classifications as grass-fed, all natural, or organic beef.
9) There is a general concern that grains to fatten livestock will increase in price, since grains especially corn, will be used to produce alternative fuels, like ethanol. Cattlemen must adapt to these trends, producing beef economically to stay in business. Bison blend cattle are ready to meet changing market demands now.
10) The all time clincher to raising bison blend cattle is their meat. Studies show bison blend beef has great taste, flavor and juiciness. It is lower in bad cholesterol, low in fat and high in protein. Currently there is a trend to DNA test cattle for tenderness. You can have tenderness, but lack flavor and taste. In taste tests conducted by various research groups, Beefalo beef won over regular beef consistently.
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“What percentage of bison should my cattle be?”
The Canadian government which conducted its Cattalo experiments from 1916 to 1964 believed that cattle needed at least 14 percent bison content to have any influence. Meanwhile Art Jones’ who developed the American Breed was well satisfied with 1/8th bison content in his cattle. Montanan Jim Burnett who bred bison blend cattle extensively enjoyed higher percentage crosses, developing successful 7/16th to ¾ bloods.
The Beefalo Associations have long touted their 3/8th bison level however there have been outstanding bison blend cattle that contain a wide range of bison content. Higher amounts of bison, over 50 per cent, usually lead to more handling difficulties and animals having personalities closer to bison. There have been 25 per cent bison blend cattle that have outperformed the 3/8ths level and by the same token 3/8th blend that have outperformed other percentages. The chief goal in our opinion is not to get hung up on exact percentages of bison, but evaluate the basic performance of each cow and their offspring. This is the reason we have emphasized “Bison Blend” on this site instead of capitalizing on specific labeling like “Beefalo, Cattalo, American Breed etc.” The primary goal is successful cattle, not exact percentages.
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