Handling facilities designed with the bison flight response in mind have made it easier to process these animals.
I have always advocated doing as much as possible while the animal is in the chute, but it might be time to re-evaluate this.
Many producers are starting to treat their bison like cattle, going against what they expected when they got into the business.
We must now evaluate these procedures to see if they are always warranted.
Bison have a tremendous immune system and if given space and good nutrition, it will prevent a lot of diseases that threaten cattle.
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They can get blackleg so vaccinating young stock at weaning and again the following year is a good idea. Then what?
After two or three shots against blackleg, cattle develop immunity for an average of five years. Beef producers will boost only old cows or newly bought animals whose vaccination status is unknown.
Most bison producers have been vaccinating their cows yearly but perhaps boosting the cows every five years like cattle would be more than adequate. Vaccine is inexpensive but the key point is eliminating a pass through the chute to reduce labour, potential injury and stress.
Other vaccinations include BVD and IBR for breeding stock and possibly pinkeye. Less commonly used vaccines include anthrax. Your veterinarian will know the diseases in your area.
BVD has been diagnosed in bison but to my knowledge IBR has never been officially diagnosed so we don’t really know if bison are susceptible.
The only safe product to give bred cows at processing (usually November or December) is a killed vaccine. However, to be effective it must be followed by a booster shot two to three weeks later, so it is better to vaccinate younger animals, calves or yearlings with a live product.
Bison are fairly resistant to pinkeye because of their dark eye pigment, but like Angus cattle, if they do contract the disease it can be tough to treat. Most veterinarians would recommend vaccinating only if there has been a major problem in the past.
Remember, with most of these diseases natural exposure yields natural immunity, which could be greater than immunity with vaccination.
Anthrax vaccine offers good protection but is under strict control and would be given only if a positive diagnosis was made in your immediate area or you shared a common water source with an infected herd. Again, consult your vet.
I have had bison producers insist they should vaccinate for anthrax after hearing of an isolated case even a province away. Don’t be swept up in the hype without proper discussion with a professional. Vaccination may not be necessary.
Researchers are working on a vaccination for malignant catarrhal fever. The disease can be devastating to the bison industry because almost all bison that show clinical signs die. Most producers would use a vaccine if it was developed, especially if pasturing close to sheep or goats.
With all vaccinations, we must look at benefits gained versus cost; not only the cost of the vaccine but the cost to run bison through the chute. Hidden costs of stress, injuries and decreased weight gains must be considered.
Deworming is also common. Bison are susceptible to internal stomach worms, especially if in confinement and undernourished. Analysis of fecal samples will show if the worm loads are high enough to treat. Dewormers can be given in grain as long as even consumption is assured. A pour-on product that has zero slaughter withdrawal in cattle may be the one to use should an injury occur necessitating emergency slaughter. Although an excellent dewormer, its efficacy on lice is poor. However, lice are rarely a problem in bison. No slaughter studies have been done on bison but they are genetically similar to cattle so it should be safe to use.
If you dehorn your bison, it is best done on young calves. Many producers do not dehorn. Only during processing and transportation do horns present a big problem. All animals in a herd should either lose or keep their horns to ensure they have equal opportunity in the pecking order.
Ear tags are best placed in young calves. The national identification tags must be used starting with the numbers 304 and bought from either the Alberta Bison Commission or the Canadian Bison Association. Calf ears are much thinner and easier to perforate with the tagger. In older stock, trimming the thick hair in the ears may help. Have plenty of pins available for your tagger. Most producers also place their own identification tag. I have found that engravable tags are the best to read after several years of use.
By concentrating processing efforts on the calves and yearlings, it may be possible to minimize passes through the chute for older stock.
I encourage producers to have their vet pregnancy check cows that did not calve the previous year. They should be culled if open again.
We want to keep buffalo as organic and healthy as possible. This is accomplished by letting their natural immune system work to capacity. Vaccinate only when absolutely necessary and insure injectables are approved for subcutaneous use. Use deworming as a management tool by routinely checking bison feces and deworming when necessary.
By incorporating some of these ideas, fall processing may simply involve separating the calves from their mothers and checking a few specific cows for pregnancy.
Calves should always be processed at this time because it poses the best opportunity. Your veterinarian can help you with deworming strategies.
Roy Lewis is a veterinarian practising in Westlock, Alta.
