E-Newsletter Quick Links

CBA Holiday Office Hours
Office Will Be Closed:
Friday Afternoon, December 23, 2016 
Monday, December 26, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Wednesday Afternoon, December 28, 2016
Thursday Afternoon, December 29, 2016
Friday Afternoon, December 30, 2016
Monday, January 2, 2017

Resumption of regular hours on
Tuesday, January 3^rd, 2017.

Once again, we’re looking for photos featuring your animals throughout the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter).
 

The Deadline to Submit Pictures is Friday, January 16, 2017.

This is the last CBA E-newsletter for 2016. Next newsletter will be sent out Friday, January 6, 2017.

Bison Handling Code Seeks Public Comment
The draft code of practice for the care and handling of bison has been released for public comment and will be open for input until Jan. 19.


Comments must be made on-line, where people can also review a report from the scientific committee that summarized research on priority welfare topics for bison.


Comments made will be reviewed by the committee, which will alter the draft as needed and expects to release the final version in spring 2017.


The draft can be found at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/bison.

Looking For An Opportunity In Livestock? Bison Have A Lot To Offer
This mighty Prairie ruminant is the complete package when it comes to meeting demand for grass-fed, all-natural meat that comes with a great story.

One of the most interesting animals in North America is bison.

A ruminant that used to wander our Prairies in the millions has been reduced to around 500,000 head, many in pens on farms. Rugged and remarkable, these ‘knowledge keepers’ have much to teach us about nature itself.

Bison love space and they travel as a close-knit clan. Their natural ability to graze as a mob had great impact on the tender areas of the prairie. In fact, when I recently visited Alberta’s special areas, the first thing that came to my mind was how the ground could use a million head of bison for rejuvenation. The impact of manure and their less selective graze would be helpful. Read More HERE

Bison Boom
These Stoic Animals Require Less Handling Than Cattle.

It’s no longer a rarity to find the animals that once roamed America’s Wild West – bison -– grazing on farms, stocked in grocery stores, and featured on restaurant menus. 

The U.S. Census of Agriculture now includes bison (American buffalo) in its reports because of the industry’s growing popularity. South Dakota tops the list of states with over 33,000 bison.

More ranchers and farmers are becoming interested in raising these stoic animals, says Jonathan Harding of Golden Bison Company, whose trade name is High Plains Bison, in Denver, Colorado. Read More HERE

Canada’s Bison: Restoring a Legacy
The Plains bison's (Bison bison bison) struggle back from the edge of extinction is one of the great stories in North American conservation history. This video features the central role Parks Canada has and continues to play in the restoration of Plains bison to its native range in several National Parks. Video HERE
 
A Different Kind Of Bison Down The Road
Cold-weather chores keep Lyndall Winter busy this time of year.

The Muscatine County rancher recently woke up to two broken heaters and a defunct water pump at his business. On top of that, his tractor wouldn’t start.

Winter, a veteran livestock farmer, raises bison on his property, about 3.5 miles west of Blue Grass off U.S. 61, and processes them for meat.

Well, he formerly processed them on site, but not anymore. He said he can’t find a qualified meat cutter willing to work more than 20 hours a week.

So, he trucks his bison, up to six head a week, to a butcher in Durant and another in Osage, Iowa, almost 200 miles north of the Quad-Cities. Read More HERE

Where The Bison Roam: Bitterroot Bison Sees Growing Demand
LOLO – It’s not a bad idea to keep your head on a swivel when walking anywhere near a herd of bison.

There’s a growing number of visitors to Yellowstone National Park who will attest to that.

Closer to Missoula, the owner of Bitterroot Bison has plenty of experience when it comes to the critters that reach upwards of 2,000 pounds of lightning-fast fury.

 “They can be a little unpredictable,” said Troy Westre as he finished posing for a photo with the 2,000-pound former bottle baby bull he calls Dozer. Read More HERE

Hot Springs State Park Puts 9 Bison Up For Sale
If you've been in the market for a bison, now's your chance.

The Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis is accepting written bids for nine bison from the state herd through 5 p.m. Jan. 10. The animals up for purchase include three bull calves, five heifer calves and one yearling bull.

This sale has taken place annually for at least 50 years.

A prime reason for this sale is to control the numbers in the state bison herd on the pasture, which is located both in the Hot Springs State Park and in Bear River State Park in Evanston.

“Pasture size is relevant to herd size,” said Hot Springs State Park Superintendent Kevin Skates. Read More HERE

2016 Bison Roundup Results for Tallgrass Prairie Preserve
The 23rd Annual Bison Roundup at the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska concluded in November with a total count of 2,449 bison, 561 of which were calves. The roundup, which takes about a week, is the only time the bison are gathered and confined on the prairie. Consisting of almost 40,000 acres near Pawhuska in Osage County, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is the largest protected remnant of tallgrass prairie left in the world!

The roundup permits the Conservancy to perform various scientific studies and ensure the health of the herd. All heifer calves are vaccinated against brucellosis. All keeper animals are vaccinated for several bovine diseases and treated for external and internal parasites. For research and record-keeping purposes, each individual bison in the herd is identified with an ear-tag transponder. Read More HERE
 
Bison Workshop Set For January 6-7
From the Montana Bison Association
GREAT FALLS — Montana Bison Association Winter Conference and Workshop Slated for January 6 and 7 for Holiday Inn. You don’t have to own bison to attend, matter of fact everyone is welcome to register. Montana Bison Association (MBA) feels that this would be a great time for bison producers, cattle producers, red meat consumers and the simply curious to find out more about bison and about the people in Montana who raise them. Read More HERE

USDA Releases Comprehensive Report Conducted on Bison Health and Management
Bison 2014 Report Called 'Deepest Dive Ever' Into Bison Ranching 

Westminster, CO (December 23, 2016) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  this week released the final report on the most comprehensive study ever conducted on the health and management practices on United States bison farms and ranches.

The 200-page report, entitled Bison 2014 - Health and Management Practices on U.S. Ranched-Bison Operations, is the result of a three-year comprehensive epidemiological study of the American bison herd spearheaded by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The epidemiological study was initiated after the National Bison Association submitted a formal request to USDA in 2013.

"Bison 2014 represents the deepest dive into modern bison business ever conducted," said NBA Executive Director Dave Carter. "The information in this report will provide herd managers, bison association leaders, and public policy makers with some significant information regarding the key areas for focusing public and private resources."

The final report notes, "The Bison 2014 study was conducted in all States and provides information on health and management practices on U.S. ranched-bison operations to study participants, stakeholders, and the bison industry as a whole. Most estimates in this report refer to the reference period of July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014."

The two-year study covered a broad range of issues, including current management practices, bison reproduction, herd health management practices, and disease testing, and population estimates.  

A complete version of the Bison 2014 study is available at: http://bit.ly/2ioTRuW

Crane Trust Legacy Herd Bison Thrive In Second Year In Platte Valley
ALDA — Do bison skip? Or jump for joy?

Maybe not. However, seven bison seemed excited last week to be released from a pen into a pasture east of the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center at the Alda Interstate 80 exit.

Eastbound I-80 travelers may catch glimpses of the prairie icons, but only if the bison are grazing mowed areas at the highway end of the pasture and not hidden in bison-high grass that covers most of the 60-acre site.

The bison are part of the Crane Trust Legacy Herd. The rare genetically pure bison have a direct lineage to the Yellowstone National Park herd that has been federally protected since 1894. Read More HERE

Major Donation Helps Effort To Preserve Rare Albino Bison In Jamestown
JAMESTOWN, N.D.—The effort to preserve and display a rare albino bison at the National Buffalo Museum in Jamestown has received a boost thanks to a sizeable donation.

Dave and JoAnn Vining, owners of Vining Oil in Jamestown, donated $30,000 toward the $50,000 goal of preserving White Cloud, an albino bison that died Nov. 14 at the Shirek Buffalo Ranch near Michigan, N.D. White Cloud was 19 years old and spent most of her life with the herd at the National Buffalo Museum.

"We just thought the white buffalo is very rare and it's a historical treasure that we want to help preserve," said JoAnn Vining. "White Cloud has been very important for Jamestown and she has brought a lot of business and tourism to our area." Read More HERE

Q&A - Bison, Rick Wallen
Rick Wallen has been the lead wildlife biologist for the bison program at Yellowstone National Park since 2002. He holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Management from Montana State University. Prior to his work in Yellowstone, Wallen worked in ungulate management programs at Grand Teton, Redwood and Bryce Canyon national parks.

In this Q&A series, Rick answers a range of questions about the challenges of bison conservation and the park's management goals. Videos HERE  Frequently Asked Questions and Answers HERE

The Winners Have Been Announced…

The winners of the 2015 CBA Annual Photo Contest have been chosen. Thank you to all the producers who submitted photos. You make our job hard each year trying to pick just 3 winners in each category. To see the winning photos go HERE. 

Travelling? Looking for a Place to Stay?
1st International Symposium on Bison Health Presentations
Dr. Woodbury, one of the organizers has made it possible for us to post most of the conference presentations on the CBA Website. Go HERE
 

Branding No Longer Required for Shipping Bison Between Canada And The US

  

Advance Payments Program improved under the Agricultural Growth Act

Effective April 1, 2016 the Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance Program has been expanded to offer advances on a select number of crops in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which allows producers to obtain cash advances for more than one commodity. This improves service to producers.  http://manitobalivestock.com/
 
More details can be obtained on the following links including other including other organizations that may have expanded the commodities for which they offer Cash Advances. (ENGLISH: http://bit.ly/XqeLPZ or FRENCH: http://bit.ly/1oKxhPK)

Advance Payment Program Now Available To Producers Who Market Their Products To The Retail Market
The Advance Payments Program (APP) is a federal loan guarantee program that helps livestock producers meet their financial obligations and benefit from the best market conditions by improving their cash flow throughout the production period. The Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance issues producers a cash advance on the anticipated value of their livestock that is being produced. Producers can receive a cash advance on up to 50% of the expected average market price of the livestock.
 
The Canadian Bison Association worked with producers and the Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance managers to make the Cash Advance Program available to producers who market their bison to the retail market from their farm. Producers who have their animals slaughtered will have 30 calendar days from the date on the slaughterhouse receipt to repay their advance. The number of bison slaughtered must be included on the slaughterhouse receipt.  For additional information and application forms go to http://manitobalivestock.com/ or call 1-866-869-4008 
 
Le Programme de paiement anticipé est maintenant offert aux producteurs qui commercialisent leurs produits sur le marché de détail 
Le Programme de paiement anticipé (PPA) est un programme fédéral de garantie d’emprunt qui aide les producteurs de bétail à respecter leurs obligations financières et à bénéficier des meilleures conditions du marché en améliorant leurs liquidités tout au long de la période de production. Le programme Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance fournit une avance en espèces sur la valeur prévue du bétail qu’ils produisent. Les producteurs peuvent recevoir une avance en espèces pouvant atteindre 50 % du prix moyen prévu du marché du bétail.
 
L’Association canadienne du bison collabore avec les producteurs et les gestionnaires du Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance afin de mettre le PPA à la disposition des producteurs qui commercialisent leur bison sur le marché de détail à partir de leur ferme. Les producteurs dont les animaux sont abattus disposent d’un délai de 30 jours civils pour rembourser leur avance, et ce, à compter de la date indiquée sur le récépissé délivré par l’abattoir. Le nombre de bisons abattus doit figurer sur le récépissé remis par l’abattoir. Pour de plus amples renseignements et pour obtenir les formulaires de demande, visitez http://manitobalivestock.com/ ou téléphonez au 1-866-869-4008.

Through the Lens of the Producer
Over the past years the CBA has asked its members to send in pictures of their bison in the four seasons. HERE then are the Seasons of the Bison-through the lens of the Producer.

Malignant Catarrhal Fever
The SBA along with the sheep industry have created a video that will support education and awareness of Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF). To View the Video Go HERE

Do You Want Big Travel Insurance Savings
The CBA has partnered with ATI Insurance Inc. to provide members with another benefit -- Comprehensive Travel Insurance at a discounted price.  Please go HERE and make this insurance program part of your annual travel plans. Service is offered in English and French. Mycoplasma in Farmed Bison Survey 2014 - 2015
The Mycoplasma in Farmed Bison Survey intends to supply the bison industry with much needed knowledge, so that evidence-based decisions can be made to protect herds and control the spread of this emerging disease.

The Survey is a collaborative effort of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Alberta Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Canadian Bison Association, veterinarians, and bison producers. It will be launched in May 2014 and is designed to provide valuable information.

For more information go HERE (scroll down to News & Events)