Vaccines are crucial to keeping livestock healthy and productive, says South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension Veterinarian and State Public Health Veterinarian Russ Daly.

Did you know that there’s a place in Ohio where the buffalo roam free? Few people do. Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park in Galloway, Ohio is home to two prairies where you can watch these majestic animals graze. It’s a hidden gem beloved by locals and a pleasant surprise to visitors who aren’t from the area. Here’s why this truly unique park is a must-visit, no matter what time of year it is: Stretching across more than 7,000 acres, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park is home to a herd of bison that roam free. It's a best kept Ohio secret. The buffalo roam freely within two enclosed pastures. You can often view the herd from the Darby Creek Greenway Trail, the bison overlook deck and the Nature Center. Once the spring season hits, the bison get a health check-up before they're released from the winter grazing area and sent into the prairie pasture. In addition to watching these majestic creatures roam, you'll want to check out the wetlands—a diverse landscape makes this park...

2021 Case Count: 21 herds with confirmed cases in 10 states, according to the Mycoplasma Task Force with the Center of Excellence for Bison Studies at South Dakota State University.  Disclaimer: The National Bison Association assumes no responsibility for the below content, provided for informational purposes only. This content is based solely on anecdotal information from volunteers in the bison industry who have experienced losses due to Mycoplasma bovis as the science of M. bovis in bison advances.   Conditions That May Cause Incidents of M. bovis  Drought, poor pasture and water conditions. Crowded, dusty, high-stress environments. Excessive wildfire smoke. Any type of stress — environmental, nutritional, behavioral, etc. Parasite loads or other causes for a depressed immune system.  Signs and Symptoms Symptoms may depend on the primary type of infection. The two most common areas of infection will occur in the throat (upper respiratory) or lungs (lower respiratory). The animal...

(From the Daily Yonder--serving rural news, Kristi Eaton March 17, 2022) Over the past two years, the Sicangu Oyate, also known as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, has cultivated the largest Native-managed buffalo herd in the world.  There are currently about 750 buffalo in the herd, according to Aaron Epps, who was the start-up manager for the project, known as Wolakota. He is also the marketing and communications director for REDCO, the economic development arm of the tribal nation, headquartered in South Dakota.  “It’s an idea that’s been around, really, for generations, just due to the historical connection and spiritual and cultural significance of buffalo to the Lakota people,” Epps said in an interview with The Daily Yonder. “And so, the idea isn’t necessarily new, but we had a really unique opportunity to really actualize it and bring it about in a really unique way.” According to experts and historians, more than 30 million bison once roamed North America. As a source of meat and...

Facilities that process bison as a nonamenable species under the Agricultural Marketing Act will be eligible to apply for funding under USDA’s $150 Meat and Poultry processing Expansion Grant Program announced in February. Officials from USDA’s Rural Development Agency clarified that issue during a webinar providing an overview of the grant program. The clarification came as welcome news for the bison sector because the Request for Proposals announced in February stated that the funds were being made available for facilities that were approved under the Federal meat Inspection Act and the Federal Poultry Inspection Act.  As a nonamenable species, bison are processed under the Agricultural marketing Act. The allowance for bison to be eligible for funding is contained in the definitions of the grant proposal. The grants are being made available for meat processing facilities, and the RFP defines meat as, “Species amenable to USDA inspection including cattle, sheep, swine, goats,...

(From For the Win) A bison herd trapped between vehicles heading in opposite directions and surrounded by dangerous icy snow along a snow-covered Alaskan road faced a no-way-out situation. After pausing, the herd turned around and stormed toward the headlines illuminating the roadway and terrorized the driver. The result was not pretty. Kurt Schmidt was videotaping the encounter and, though it was dark and you don’t see the destruction taking place, you definitely hear it. Make sure to turn up the volume. See the video at https://ftw.usatoday.com/2022/02/bison-herd-demolishes-car-terrorizes-driver-they-ran-right-over-me You can hear Schmidt say in the video, “They just trashed that truck.” Once the herd moved on, the driver in the demolished car approached Schmidt’s vehicle.  “How do you like my car?” the driver said.  “Yeah, what happened?” Schmidt replied. “I heard that.”  “The buffalo took out my car,” the driver said.  “Where did they hit you?” Schmidt said. “They ran right up...