Surprise win at Agribition prompts producers to consider rebuilding their herd after recently scaling back the operation
Cindy Donally had few thoughts of winning at this year’s Canadian National Bison show.
Donally Livestock and XY Bison from Fort St. John, B.C., had sold the main herd in February 2020, leaving just 17 cows and 14 calves.
But then Donally got a call on Sept. 30 to enter animals in the show held during Canadian Western Agribition. She had to enter by the next day.
“These are calves out of the cows that we kept back and they were so-so, I thought,” she said. “And the cows (the mothers) are very old.”
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She was told to bring them anyway, so she went out to the pasture, brought them in and picked out four to start on grain.
She and her husband drove 16 hours straight, arriving in Regina the morning of Nov. 19.
Three days later her yearling heifer, out of a cow more than 20 years old, was named grand champion female.
Donally was shocked but said quality has always been the foundation of the herd.
“We’ve been around a long time and always selected our animals right from when we started. If something wasn’t fitting, then ciao, it went,” she said. “We tried to keep the main herd as best as we possibly could. We always bought the best bulls to breed back.”
Those bulls were purchased from reputable breeders and often at the national sale.
“The herd maintained itself, basically,” Donally said. “If you manage it that way, it will happen naturally.”
Donally’s father, Bill Bouffioux, started the XY herd and usually accompanies his daughter to Regina. However, he has had health issues and so has Donally. The decision to downsize came with those concerns.
“We thought if it’s a little smaller I can do it by myself,” she said. “Dad is 80 and I’ve got MS, so most days are excellent but who knows?”
But Donally said the win makes her want to build the herd again rather than sell to the meat market.
“There’s 32 of that heifer, just like her or better, at home,” she said. “It’s something to think about. I’ve got ‘til February.”
In the show and sale, Silver Creek Bison from Binscarth, Man., showed the grand champion bull and topped the sale at $21,500. Windy Hills Bison from Michigan bought the bull and the first-place bred heifer, also from Silver Creek, which was the reserve grand champion.
The reserve grand champion bull was consigned by Roaming K Bison from Foam Lake, Sask., and also went stateside to Hidden Bison Ranch in Minnesota for $8,000.
Sale averages were $8,406.25 on two-year-old bulls, $4,069.23 on yearling bulls, $4,275 on single bred heifers and $3,511.71 on pens of two bred heifers. Yearling heifers averaged $2,287.50 while pens of two averaged $2,520.
Show and sale chair Keegan Kitzul said they were pleased with interest in the sale, which was actually held online off the Agribition grounds.
“There were 50 active bidders in the room with 60 online bidding on 66 bison,” he said.
Silver Creek was named premier breeder and exhibitor. Dylan Chartrand of Hodgeville, Sask., was named rookie of the year.
Meanwhile, the CBA held a fun auction during its convention and raised $10,000 to be forwarded to the British Columbia Ag Council for flood relief efforts.
