This weekend some members of the farm team made the trek to the Western Bison Association Stampede Auction Show & Sale in Ogden, UT to bring back a new bull calf. This calf will grow into the head breeding bull in the herd. Every few years we have to mix up our genetics. We run a single sire herd so we need to replace our bull when his female offspring are of age to breed in order to prevent inbreeding. Maintaining quality genetics is not only important for our growing herd, but imperative to maintain the integrity of the bison species. We are fortunate to be bringing home the Reserve Grand Champion from the 2019 show and sale, and his brother who took third place. They are out of 2J Bison, a prominent operation in the western United States known for their outstanding breeding stock. The photo of the mature bull is “Dusty”, their sire.

At the conference we had the opportunity to attend the talks on bison genetics and holistic management. We drank whiskey and ate steak, and enjoyed the company of other bison producers. We don’t get to hang that often!