New Beefalo Producer

Dr. Norm Shealy of Brindabella Farms, west of Fair Grove, Mo. has just purchased ten cows with calves by side from Ussery Beefalo.

 

Last week Mr. Shealy, his daughter Laurel, and grandaughter Natalie came to our farm to pick out the cows they would purchase.  It is always comforting and reassuring to see your cows trust their new owners, but young Miss Natalie had our cows practically sleepwalking.  I  couldn't believe how so many cows let a complete stranger pet them.  We know the cows have a fine new home and we wish Mr. Shealy and his family all the best in the future.

Cattle Sale

We recently sold some heifers to Donny and Jueanita Booth of Millerton, Oklahoma. They are going to be selling their herd of Black Angus cattle in January of 2012 and want to replace them with Beefalo. Donny says he is looking for bred cows that will freshen from February to May, or heifers due to freshen in that time period. Also, he would interested in cows with calves by their side. January is when he would be able to make the transactions. If anyone reading this blog has what Mr. Booth is looking for, you can reach him at (580) 212-7103.

Good Bye, Bulls

We have recently sold two of our young bulls. Mark Cox and his family, south of Norwood, near Skyline, have purchased our X-Man bull who will be showing at the Ozark Empire Fair on August 6th.
At the same time we were contacted by Mr. Cox we received a call from Laszlo Nemeti of Rogersville. Laszlo bought a beefalo bull from us a few years ago and now needed another one. He likes to get them young and raise them himself. We say "thanks" and "all the best"!

For Better Beef, Breed Beefalo

A Washington University Study, (using men, not guinea pigs!) compared Beefalo Beef burgers to regular beef burgers. At the end of a six week consumption test, the average results showed the men's LDL Cholesterol levels, while consuming Beefalo beef, was 15 points lower than when consuming regular beef burgers. No other red meat test has ever lowered the LDL cholesterol level! The same men perferred Beefalo beef burgers over regular beef burgers in taste, tenderness, juiciness and appearance.

Every product we consume has a different genetic makeup- Beef, Chicken, Fish, ect. The Beefalo beef discussed here also has a different genetic makeup, but in appearance and taste, it is the same as a good quality steak you purchase at any local grocery store.

When Beefalo beef was tested by the USDA, it was so nutritionally different, they gave it a separate beef listing. Previously, all beef breeds were in one beef category. The new beef category is Beefalo beef, from Beefalo cattle.

Different gentetics; the development of the Beefalo breed goes back over 150 years, to a point in history where the American Buffalo was in great numbers in the United States. The American Buffalo gives the Beefalo breed its genetic difference with a delicious beef flavor.

The Beefalo breed is a hybrid mix consisting of the following:

• 27% (+/-) 10% - American Buffalo (Bison Species)

• 73% (+/-) 10% - Beef Cow, (Bovine Species)

The New American Breed is now being sought after world wide due to its superior nutritional qualities.

Warning! Beefalo beef is very easy to overcook! It must be cooked at a very little lower temperature and removed from the heat source a little before you think it's done the way you like it. If not, it will be overcooked and dry because it continues to cook after being removed from the heat due to it's low fat content.

Reasons to Raise Beefalo

Excellent Foraging Ability- Beefalo have the ability to better untilize roughage which results in lower maintenance.
Strong Hybrid Vigor- Bison X Bovine - These benefits are derived from years of natural selesction on the bison side and accumulative years of selective breeding on the domestic side.
Calving Ease- Unassisted calving is an inherited trait from the bison.
Hardiness- Beefalo are adaptable to climatic changes. Due to their ability to perspire, they do well in hot climates; and because they have a dense hair coat for insulation, they thrive equally well in cold climates.
Fertility- Proper balance of bison and bovine genetics creates a fertile animal for both natural service and artificial insemination.
Less Waste When Processing- Beefalo inherit an extremely thin external fat covering which leads to less fat tossed into the barrel by processors.
High Quality Meat- Beefalo produce a meat that is high in protien, yet low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Beefalo meat is as tender as regular beef without marbled fat.

Beefalo- The Better Beef

The American Beefalo is truly an American Beef Breed. The only breed developed from a native American animal- the American Bison (Buffalo). The hybrid breed of Beefalo combines the best qualities of bison and beef cattle. Beefalo offers the hardiness of bison with the qaulity beef of cattle that results in the leanest, healthiest, meat consumers can buy- and producers can sell. Unlike well-tendered beef cattle, bison herds have survived for hundreds of years without the benifit of care from herdsmen and veterinarians. Their ability to survive in the face of drought, famine, and other natural threats has produced a breed that is genetically sound and physically superior to traditional beef breeds. Bison gentics give Beefalo a high level of disease resisitance and insect tolerance. Now, modern science offers today's beef producers and consumers the best of both species in the form of the Beefalo breed. The full-blood Beefalo is exactly 3/8 bison and 5/8 bovine, with any of the beef breeds making up the latter part of the equation. For consumers, Beefalo offers a healthier selection of beef. Beefalo is lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than even chicken or fish! USDA tests prove that Beefalo has less cholesterol than chicken, and less fat and more protein than regular beef. Beefalo even meets the dietary recommendations of the American Heart Association. So consumers enjoy all the taste of beef, with added health benefits. Beefalo cattle properly finished have an excellent meat that is tender, tasty, and lean. The exceptional quality of Beefalo meat has been recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture and was acknowledged in 1985, when they approved a 'Roll Stamp' identification of 'Beefalo Beef'.

Why Beefalo Now?

1. Foreign Market
Registrations from Brazil are up. Exports to China are up. New Zealand and Australia are also getting on board. "World" acceptance of Beefalo is advancing even faster outside the US than inside the US. A boom in the export of Beefalo and Beefalo semen is expected in the near future. Whether you export or not, the export business will increase domestic prices of Pure-bred Beefalo.
2. Acceptance of Beefalo
a.) The rapid increase of new and crossed bloodlines produced by current breeders that have Bison markers (and registered by the ABA) has caused some of the previous skeptics to re-evaluate Beefalo.
b.) ABA's new Bison Marker Beefalo Registry, where all foundation and direct input Beefalo must have Bison markers, will increase the acceptance by the scientific community.
c.) Consumer acceptance of Beefalo is very good where Beefalo meat programs have stable supplies (Michigan and Northeast). These successful Beefalo meat programs provide guidelines for others to start successful Beefalo meat programs.

Why Beefalo... for the Breeder (Cow/ Calf Operator)?

Most cattlemen (cow/ calf operators) have come to the realization that it's Dollars per cow and not pounds per calf that should be their goal. Those who are looking for those 700 pound weaning weights are probably not maximizing their income. Calving percentage should be number of weaned calves divided by the number of cows bred. A dead calf at birth does not add anything to the bottom line even of he would have been 700 pounds at weaning. If a cattleman weans 80 calves out of 100 bred cows and they average 550 pounds, he has 440 pounds of calf for every cow bred. If he weans 60 calves out of 100 cows bred they average 700 pounds, he has produced 420 pounds of calf for every cow bred. (The average calving percentage for the US is 67%). We know that the gestation period for the first cross (Beefalo X Bovine) varies from a few days less to a week less than Bovine. This causes these calves to have a lower birth weight and fewer calving problems. Heterogeneity in this cross provides very healthy, fast growing calves. As the Beefalo still have a higher calving rate due to fewer calving problems and Beefalo mamma cows produce higher butter fat milk and faster growing calves. In addition, Beefalo cows do well on less grain or expensive supplements than Bovine. Even if a breeder doesn't intend to take avantage of the benifits to feeders, packers, or consumers, he is still better off brereding Beefalo.

Welcome, Rondo!

As we reported here earlier, we recently purchased a new herd sire from Done Rovin Farm in Lincoln, Arkansas. LNH Rondo, a four year year old bull raised by Larry and Nelda Hacker arrived on our farm October 4th. Larry had weighed Rondo just prior to our acquiring him and he weighed 1,875 pounds, down 200 pounds according to Larry. We are very impressed with Rondo; his stature, length, overall conformation, and especially his docility. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of some little "Rondos" and "Rondoettes" next July.

Meantime, we still have LNH Pickett FOR SALE (to your right). Pickett who has been our primary herd sire since 2005, has sired many fine calves for us and we feel would make an excellent herd sire for anyone interested in producing quality Beefalo.