HOW I GOT FERTILE BUFFALO X HEREFORD BULLS

By Jim Burnett, of Luther, MT

Published in the Beefalo Nickel  April/May 1980

Editor’s note: Jim Burnett lives on a ranch homesteaded by his father who came to Montana from Manitoba in 1886. He and his wife, Betty, operate 4,000 acres and run approximately 400 head of livestock. Burnett has served the past 11 years as a member of the Montana Legislature. He is a lifetime member of the ABA.

I would like to tell my story in cross-breeding that started in 1958, my failures, disappointments, surprises, and successes.

Prior to the purchase of a buffalo bull, I researched as much material on hybridization as I could find including the final report of the Canadian government…all were somewhat of the same conclusion from impractical to impossible to establish a breed with a large amount of bison strain. The impossible part came in the study of genetics. The incompatibility in genetics made one realize the possibilities for success were, at the best, minute.

A professor of animal science came to the ranch to view my cross-breeding program; after viewing the various crosses he had one comment: "I wish you hadn’t done this as we have taught for years it couldn’t be done."

A student of animal science and writing her thesis came to view my hybridization program and with some amazement, after many questions, asked, "Did you study genetics in college to know what you were doing could be done?"

My response was, "Had I studied genetics in college I would have been convinced it couldn’t be done and would not have wasted my time trying."

From other experiments that had had some success, I knew the chances for conception between bison and domestic breeds would only be in the 10% category and since I had no buffalo semen at that time, it would have to be a natural service. The problem then was to have compatibility between the species. Even though the semen from domestic bulls was available it was extremely hard to catch a buffalo cow in heat as in most cases they have pretty much of a silent heat period plus the chance of conception was only 1 in 10. This promised what could be termed an effort in futility. Also, since I had a larger number of beef cows and only about a dozen buffalo cows, it was more feasible for me to go the bison bull/domestic cow direction. However, later I did go the domestic bull/bison cow direction also. Both combinations resulted in a 10% conception rate.

One advantage of the domestic bull/bison cow combination is the bison does not reject the conception, thus no hydomacy. Hydomacy is the build-up of excess amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus as the cow’s immune system tries to reject the hybrid fetus which it regards as foreign protein. This condition, that many times develops in the domestic cow bred to buffalo, usually results in the demise of the progeny and many times of the cow also.

From the results of other experimenters one could expect a hybrid bull offspring to be sterile. Therefore, one would have to go into such a program expecting success with tongue-in-cheek. Even so, I felt the secret combination with God’s help would come through someday and when one lives on hope, you want it to be you.

After 4 years of failure, disappointment and expense, my discouragement disappeared with the birth of a live progeny and no ill effects on the mother cow. For the next 3 years God smiled on my cross-breeding program with a number of hybrids and a number of these did reproduce from both domestic and hybrid bulls. All the males of the first and second generation were proven sterile until a ¾ bison/ ¼ Hereford bull, born in 1965, by 1967 produced live sperm. His sire was Browning Bison #1 and his dam was Burnett #15. My surprise came first with him having live adult sperm that had 40% mobility after freezing. I named him 903 and this was also his tattoo.

It was at this time that Mr. D. C. Basolo of the Texas Meat Co. in California visited me. He was also experimenting along these lines and also had started in 1958. He wanted to buy 903. It was my feeling that after the many failures, disappointments and expense, 903 was not for sale. Mr. Basolo, however, did persuade me to enter into a cooperative effort, that between us a new breed with a bison strain would be realized much sooner. His agreement, as he put it, was "so good you can’t turn it down". And it was.

My part was to let 903 be transported to the bull bank at Excalon, CA, and to leave him there for 2 years. Dr. Cutting Favor, M.D., was working with Mr. Basolo at the time and did keep the indexing of the progress of which I got periodic reports. The agreement also called for an insurance contract and there was a small monetary consideration to sweeten the agreement.

However, the greatest motivating factor for me to go along with Mr. Basolo was my election to the Montana Legislative Assembly; I would be away from the ranch and the program would suffer. After the legislative session I did visit the Basolos and I felt there was good progress. I took pictures of 903 and other bulls Mr. Basolo felt might have some potential; 903 was the only bull of ¾ buffalo breeding. A number of Holstein showed good promise and one with Beef-master that had ¼ bison was producing live sperm. Basolo had him prior to our agreement.

My 903 stayed at the bull bank for 10 months and then was returned to our ranch in Montana. One reason for his return was that he was getting big and powerful and hard to handle due to the frequent use of the electric ejaculation method for semen collection.

For that year I followed the progress intently. In February, 1972, my wife and I visited Mr. And Mrs. Basolo and had an enjoyable time. We viewed Basolo’s projects and took pictures of what was pointed out to us as progenies of 903. They were long yearlings at that time, 3/8 bison. It was agreed then that as far as either of us knew, 903 was the first hybrid with this great amount of bison to produce enough live sperm to settle a cow. Since that trip, I haven’t heard of not had communication from Mr. Basolo.

Since 1971, my cross-breeding program has progressed satisfactorily with a number of hybrids both male and female having various degrees of bison. The thorax of the hybrid animals from 3/8 down shows very little of the bison, while above 3/8 it has a definite bison appearance. The bison physiology is present in all degrees of the hybrid animal.

The progress has been slowed as it is necessary for my wife and me to make a living even though our main source of income is raising livestock we did not want to market hybrids until we were sure what level was the best percentage of bison blood to call a true breed. It is too soon to determine what percentage of bison is desirable as far as the meat is concerned. I would say having hump and rump cannot be discounted as the loin is the choice cut of meat and the hump was relished by generations of Indians and frontiersmen.

If other characteristics of the bison such as longer life span, robust ability to withstand the elements, high feed conversion and disease resistance come through with cycling in the first 18 months, this should be it. Only time will tell.

As mentioned earlier, God had smiled on my project and in the last few years I have developed highly fertile 5/8 and 11/16 bison/Hereford bulls of a third and fourth generation.

Again, the statement that "hybridization is a dubious improvement over domestic cattle" should have some comment. It is expected that any crossbred animal will carry certain characteristics of both species and we hope to get the best of both.

From what I’ve learned, the bison has twice the life span of domestic cattle, had a third better feed conversion, it’s able to stand severe weather and poor pasture where domestic animals would lose condition, is more disease resistant, has higher protein meat and gains rapidly. There are other advantages that only time will prove. With hybrid vigor one can expect the bison hybrid to take on some of these advantages. My observation of hybrid behavior and physiological characteristics had convinced me that hybridization is both economically feasible and desirable.

Dr. Jon Bonsma, the South African animal scientist, in his lecture at the Utah ag college at Logan, shed some light on why God has smiled on my hybridization program. He feels environmental control and handling along with weather, location and conditions was a factor in producing fertile animals. Confinement and being subjected to what man wants may not be inductive to any animal’s best development.

It is my opinion that 903 was the renaissance of hybridization, thus a new breed.

As Roger David wrote in the 12-12-74 Western Livestock Reporter front page, "Burnett welcomed the opportunity to work with Basolo because he had been elected to the Montana Legislature and was concerned that the crossing program would be slowed down because of his extended absence from the ranch. Basolo had the staff and facilities to make good use of the Burnett bull…After the 1972 visit, the California cattleman broke off communications with Burnett, who has tried to reopen them several times without success.

"So far in the considerable notoriety that Basolo has garnered in the livestock press and elsewhere, he has been tight-lipped about how the strain was developed. He was quoted last month as admitting not knowing the biological reasons for what has happened and because it isn’t patentable, he is going to keep his secret for 3 more years.

"Burnett believes there really isn’t anything secret about it. Efforts to accomplish the cross have been going on for years. It’s not how, where or when that’s important but rather that it has been done and can have an impact on the cattle industry, he declared.

"Burnett talks freely about theories about how the breakthrough at his ranch happened. He leans heavily to the environmental factor which includes the use of natural service rather than A-I and the openness of the range which allowed the animals ample and unmolested freedom.

"Really, all I felt I was doing was letting the animal do its job on it own and conditions apparently were just right for everything to fall into place. From what I have studied about major experiments like the 40-year one in Canada, there appeared to have been some lack of animal freedom and contentment.

"Burnett has developed some research tools to get about the job. Cows in the hybrid herd range all the way from 7/8 bison on down to `/32 which now enables Burnett, as he buts it, ‘to shoot in any direction’. Some highly fertile 5/8 and 11/16 bison/Hereford bulls of a third and fourth generation have been developed.

"The Montana rancher feels that perhaps his former California co-worker may have stopped a little short of the present beefalo combination 3/8 buffalo, 3/8 Charolais, and ¼ Hereford. Basolo has said that he has never breed for conformation but has tried for less hump and more rump.

"Burnett’s concern is for the hump and the rump. There is nothing wrong with the larger thorax inasmuch as more and better meat is what the game is all about, he said. From 1 to 3 square inches can be added to the prime loin and for succulence that hump roast can’t be overlooked, he believes. Improvement in dress-out can also be attained.

"Regarding the rump, Burnett pointed out that in his program the hind quarters are developing even in the ½ and ¾ bloods. A visit to the Burnett pastures bears this out…one of Burnett’s hybrids slaughtered at 3,800 pounds. He has records on another that showed a daily gain of 4.9 lbs. In 130 days in a commercial feedlot.

"Records, with pedigree, veterinary and autopsy data have been important to the program since the beginning. These records are open ones and are spread out on the kitchen table without hesitancy. There is mystery about what has happened on the Burnett ranch. The Burnetts believe that pedigree data is important for the protection of others who might become engaged in the future development of the cross."