Breeding Season

Southern Plains Bison Pointers July 2018

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  Breeding Season Awareness   In July and August, we need to focus on breeding season ‘awareness’.  April and May’s calves are conceived in August and September. The gestation period for bison is 270 days to 300 days with an average gestation of 285 days.  The southern plains will also likely continue the breeding season beyond September to late November and, in some cases, the first two weeks of December.  The late breeding results in late calves and that can be a problem when temperatures spike to historic highs like they have throughout the southern Great Plains region this year.  … Read more

Southern Plains Bison Pointers June 2018

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  Breeding’em Up   It’s Time to get down to the business of breeding’em up. It’s easy to become complacent about the breeding season when the grass is plenty and feeding chores are few. That being said, extra nutrition during the summer and fall can = higher conception rates and more calves next April/May.  The southern plains can also contain the reality of waning available nutrition from the grasses at the exact time the females need to be ‘on the gain’ to catalyze estrus. Caution: if you’re not calved out yet, be careful with excessive nutrition going to females in … Read more

Southern Plains Bison: July 2015

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Out where the buffalo roam, the mating season is marked by behaviors and sounds of territorial declaration. In my travels across the southern plains – breeding season normally begins now, and is evidenced by deep loud vocalizations, as well as a change in the attitude of otherwise un-aggressive bulls. All the sudden, the bull that acted like your ‘buddy’ for a cube, is looking at you differently while he multitasks reacting to the politics of the herd that includes uncooperative cows and competition for them as mates. In multi-sire herds, each and every bull is up against the same circumstance … Read more

Southern Plains Pointers: Aug 2013

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Southern Plains Pointers The dog-days of summer are upon us in the southern plains and hopefully we have all our preparations for a strong breeding season in order and working. If you’re catching up, then exhaust solutions to herd management that do not_ require high levels of stress, handling or hauling. If this is not possible, then plan activities at night, dusk or dawn. In July and August, if I have to haul bison, I prefer to do it at night. This decision transcends humane to shrewd-business whereas heat-stress will_ directly effect my bottom line. Keep an eye on your … Read more