Raising Bison For Beginners
                     Raising Bison
Feeds and Feeding
During the finishing period, bison are offered a concentrated feed ration. There are a wide variety of 
quality feeds available. However, the feed ration must be both economical and balanced to meet the 
animal’s nutritional requirements. Consequently, provide a mixed diet of high-energy feed grains 
and a roughage source.
Typical grains that are used include barley, wheat and oats. Common fibre sources include brome 
grass, alfalfa, timothy, cereal straw and grain cereal silage. In addition, food manufacturing by-
products such as cull potatoes may be used where available.
Currently there are several different diet regimes producers follow when finishing bison. The most 
traditional method involves changing the ration several times during the finishing period. This 
allows the producer to carefully match the diet to the changing nutritional requirements of the 
growing bison.
It may also incorporate a warm-up or adjustment period that allows the bison to become 
accustomed to the feed. The disadvantages of this method are the increased labour and feed storage 
cost. Other producers simply offer one ration throughout the finishing period. This method offers 
the advantages of often being cheaper and easier to implement; however, the performance of the 
animals may not be maximized.
Bison adapt readily to a diet that contains a grain concentrate. However, there is no consensus about 
how quickly the change may be done. Many producers have switched bison immediately from 
pastures to high grain diets without any problems. As a general recommendation, any changes in 
feed should be done gradually to avoid problems.
Although it has been documented that bison can survive on low-quality diets, it is unreasonable to 
expect the same performance that high-quality feeds may offer. Proper nutrition will yield top 
performance of bison.
Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information about feedlot diets for finishing bison. Most 
operations have adapted cattle knowledge and have learned by doing. All the books and tables in the 
world are not nearly as important as an attentive farm manager who carefully monitors the status 
and progress of his/her pastures and animals.
Note: Recently compiled data on finishing bison can be resourced from chapters located in the 2010 
Bison Breeders Handbook obtained from the National Bison Association and the Canadian Bison 
Association.
Parts of a balanced diet
Water
Water is essential for feed digestion. All animals should have free access to an adequate supply of 
freshwater. In a feedlot situation, bison require five to 10 gallons per day with peak consumption 
reaching15 gallons. Note that feed consumption increases when there is free access to water, 
thereby resulting in increased gains.
The location of the water source is important. When water and feed sources are situated close 
together, an increase in competition may result in poor performance or animal injury. Conversely, 
placing the water too far from the feed may reduce intake. In many bison feedlot operations, the 
water is within 50 feet of the feeders.
Forages
A growing ration can predominately be forage based and augmented by a limited amount of grain or 
supplement. Finishing rations are predominately concentrate-based. Types of hay typically offered 
to bison vary considerably. Bison have shown a preference for grass hay over legumes. This 
practice can be cost-effective provided that the forage is tested and the complete diet is balanced.
Concentrates
Concentrates are high-energy feeds included in the diet to improve the rate of gain and reduce the 
cost of finishing. By adding grain concentrates to the diet, bison will reach finishing weight quicker. 
Consistently feeding concentrates also allows the production of consistent meat quality. Grain can 
be nutritionally variable depending upon the harvesting method and/or storage conditions. 
Low bushel weight grain will tend to be high in fibre and low in starch, thus have lower energy 
content. As with forages, it is recommended that grains be tested prior to formulation of the 
finishing diet. A wide variety of grains have been used to finish bison without problems. The grain 
supplement offered varies considerably with geographic location and feed availability.
Concentrates comprise anywhere from 25 to 90 per cent of the complete ration. In bison feeding 
trials, it was shown that concentrates are best utilized when offered at a level between 70 and 90 per 
cent of the total diet. Through practice, producers have found that a minimum of 10 per cent fibre is 
required. The amount of concentrates fed per animal typically ranges between four to 16 pounds per 
day. This range varies with the nutrient value of the forage being offered.
Facilities
Although the following gives an outline of what to consider in feedlot design, all systems must be 
specifically tailored for each site and the management intentions of the operator.
Location
A good site has many positive social and economic benefits. However, it is difficult to find a site 
with all the desired features. Evaluate potential sites from both a producer’s and community 
perspective. Site selection involves practical, technical and environmental factors. Even small-scale 
operations should observe or consider the following points when selecting a site for a livestock 
operation.
Practical
• Select a site that lends itself naturally to the operation. Make use of naturally occurring 
windbreaks, shelterbelts and other landscape features that provide protection and visual screening.
• Select a site that has good drainage away from buildings and facilities. Proper contouring of the 
ground provides for drier pens and better animal performance. Select a site with soil that will 
maintain its contour.
• Ensure there is adequate area for holding ponds or other environmental control structures.
• Since successful livestock operations tend to expand over time, allow extra space for future 
expansion.
Technical
• Evaluate present and future land-use in the surrounding area (e.g. proximity to neighbours and 
residential development). Recreational areas may be more sensitive to new livestock development 
than traditional farming communities. Local support in the community will help avoid ongoing 
problems in the future.
• Avoid areas with resort and recreational facilities (e.g. motels, parks, campgrounds, resort villages 
or golf courses) that may result in conflict. Avoid locating a livestock facility at an elevation higher 
than the surrounding area to minimize the effects of an atmospheric inversion.
An inversion usually occurs under calm conditions, often on a cool summer evening after a warm 
day, and can carry odour a considerable distance with minimal dispersion.
• Ensure the availability of utilities such as power, water and telephone.
• Consider the availability of inputs such as livestock, feed supplies, and labour and support services
(E.g. veterinary services).
• Develop a traffic management plan for the delivery and removal of products and by-products to 
reduce dust and noise.
• Select a site with an all-weather road for moving livestock, feed, manure and other by-products. 
Municipalities may require specific road maintenance agreements for activities not located on a 
provincial highway.
• Evaluate the potential effect that poor weather such as heavy rain or snow may have on the 
selected site (e.g. pen and road conditions).
• Evaluate herd health restrictions, such as isolation to other livestock facilities that your operation 
may require, or that existing operations in the community may have.
Environmental
• Develop a plan to store and utilize manure and manage waste in a way that will minimize the 
impact on the environment and neighbours. Manure is a valuable by-product of any livestock 
operation.
• An engineering study may be necessary to evaluate soil and groundwater conditions and to 
determine the environmental constraints or opportunities for development of a site. Obtain access to 
enough land suitable for spreading manure.
Design and construction
A producer starting a bison finishing operation should carefully consider potential public relations 
issues of the industry. Will the operation be patterned after a traditional beef feedlot and be 
intensive? Conversely, will the operation be an extensive “field-lot” and utilize supplemental 
feeding in large grazing pastures?
Keep the design simple and organize the layout for efficient operation. Extra pens should be easy to 
add simply by extending a few alleys and constructing new pens. The feed processing or storage 
area, handling facilities and existing gates should not need relocation when expansion occurs. The 
layout of the facility should utilize the natural topography to reduce the costs of earth shaping.
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