Livestock Option

 Bison are quickly becoming a favorite, not only with consumers looking for lean healthy meat choices, but with livestock producers. There are several upsides to raising bison. Bison are disease resistant hardy animals that prefer being left out in the elements, as opposed to being housed in barns or shelters, which has several advantages for producers; less illness, veterinary expense, and death loss. They are a herd animal that have a long productive life, three to four times the life span of cattle, and don’t require daily contact. They also calve without assistance. Bison have been around for a very long time, and have learned to survive and even thrive in most of America’s diverse landscapes. Over the last ten years the consumer demand for bison has more than exceeded the supply. Of course bison’s “hands off” nature also requires more specialized handling methods to ensure the safety of the bison and producers, and it does take a more substantial range fence to prevent escapes. The bison industry has an old saying, “You can chase a buffalo anywhere he wants to go and keep him anywhere he wants to stay”. Bottom line, if bison have adequate feed, water and plenty of space, they will happily stay put, which equals happy bison and happy producers.