Bison management

how much do bison weight

1000-2200 lb

what height are bison

5-6.5 feet

what is the length of bison

7-12 feet

how fast can bison go

40 mph

what is the lifespan of a bison

12-20 years

what is the bison’s defense

2 ft curved horns

how much grass does a bison eat per day

very efficient grazers preferring a total grass diet with gains of 2 pounds/day

what happened to bison 20-30,000 years ago

bison crossed the Bering strait land bridge from Asia to North America

what happened to bison in the 1700s

30 to 60 million bison in North America

what happened to bison in 1900

300 bison (were endangered)

what happened to bison in 2010

220,000-500,000 bison, in national preserves and private ranches, in all 50 states

what are different bison markets

breeding stock, hobby/exhibition animals, and meat

what kind of meat is bison

red meat-lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than beef, pork, and skinless chicken

what is a small bison producer

25 to 100

what is a medium bison producer

100-250

what is a large bison producer

100s-1000s

in 2020 how many bison were processed at USDA inspected plants

57,300

Federal Meat Inspection Act

to legally sell meat and meat products animals must be slaughtered in a facility inspected by the USDA’s FSIS and meat products from the inspected carcasses must be handled in a facility inspected by county, state, or USDA inspectors

what are amenable livestock species

cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses

what are amenable poultry

chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and ratites

what are non-amenable wild land mammals

antelope, deer, elk, moose, bison, water buffalo, bear, caribou, and reindeer

what are non-amenable game birds

wild turkeys, wild geese, wild ducks, grouse, quail, pheasant, and other non-domesticated species of fowl

what are other non-amenable species

rabbits and poultry

what are non-amenable species

no mandatory USDA FSIS inspection for non-amenable species= no federal tax dollars for inspection

Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946

gave FSIS the authority to perform voluntary inspection service of non-amenable animals if meat and poultry products must bear a USDA mark of inspection

triangular USDA mark of inspection

exotics inspected and passed under voluntary FSIS inspection receive this mark

how does a farmer get an inspector for a non-amenable species

USDA federally inspected plant must first apply for and receive approval to process exotic animals or USDA FSIS has granted special provisions to allow on-farm harvesting if farms have a separate area in which to present the live animals to a licensed vet or USDA inspector before being killed followed by fast transport to a USDA-inspected plant

what federal regulations are non-amenable voluntary inspected species subject to

U.S. department of health and human services and food and drug administration

how is the safety of bison assured

bison sold in the commercial marketplace must be processed in an FDA-approved facility. These facilities are required to comply with all FDA regulations as well as with the FSIS regulations regarding sanitation

local health codes

may prohibit sale of uninspected bison in markets and restaurants

what is buffalo cheese produced from

produced from the milk of water buffalo as bison are not milked commercially as they are not domesticated animals

what have the national bison association filed formal comments with FSIS and FDA for

urging that the food standards and labeling policy book clarify that products containing water buffalo are required to be labeled with the full name rather than just buffalo

how much land should bison have

>2 to 3 acres per animal

what are requirements for the housing of bison

strong fencing, corral-chute system (7-8 feet tall) and an appropriate squeeze chute

what is the health program for bison

good record keeping, vaccination, deworming, observation

when do bison hit puberty

2 years old

what is the breeding season for bison

fall (august to october)

how many cows (bison) can be bred for every 1 mature bull

10-15

what is the gestation length for bison

275-285 days

when is calving

summer (mid-april to july)

how big are newborn bison calves

40-50 lbs

when are calves bred

8-9 months

are bulls castrated

no because bulls are sold for meat before breeding age

what are bison fed

similar to beef cattle, pasture-rotational graze: land>need, winter- supplemental hay, protein (11-13%), salt, minerals

what is the live weight of a bison sent to processing

1000-1100 lbs

what is the dressing weight of a processed bison

626 lbs (62%)