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Trying2keepitReal

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Bison vs Beef including history, butchering side by side and grilling porter house steaks from both comparison.

Have you eaten bison before? If so, did you like it?


Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
We have eaten it, there is a farm about 25 min from us that sells retail. We did enjoy it. A bit more "wild" tasting than beef but good
 

Hinotori

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Bison vs Beef including history, butchering side by side and grilling porter house steaks from both comparison.

Have you eaten bison before? If so, did you like it?


Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Great Uncle got his first bison back in the 50s. He raised them up until his death 2 years ago. His daughter and SIL who took over the farm have kept some of them. I never found it to be much different than beef. BUT, I grew up eating deer, elk, and beef as our regular meat with the occasional sheep and bison tossed in. I can taste the difference but to me they just taste like red meat and are all used in the same recipes.

This is the Uncle my parents got beef from, so they were all raised pretty much the same way. Pasture and hay. Finished in spacious yards with free choice hay, grain, melons, and whatever other produce wasnt saleable.

Hubby isn't sure he likes the taste of it. There are a few bison burger places where my family is and we stopped in one. It could have just been how they prepared it. I really need to just pick up some from the store next time I go shopping and let him try it again.
 

flowerbug

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Great Uncle got his first bison back in the 50s. He raised them up until his death 2 years ago. His daughter and SIL who took over the farm have kept some of them. I never found it to be much different than beef. BUT, I grew up eating deer, elk, and beef as our regular meat with the occasional sheep and bison tossed in. I can taste the difference but to me they just taste like red meat and are all used in the same recipes.

This is the Uncle my parents got beef from, so they were all raised pretty much the same way. Pasture and hay. Finished in spacious yards with free choice hay, grain, melons, and whatever other produce wasnt saleable.

Hubby isn't sure he likes the taste of it. There are a few bison burger places where my family is and we stopped in one. It could have just been how they prepared it. I really need to just pick up some from the store next time I go shopping and let him try it again.

i also grew up on grass fed beef and once in a while venison which i'm not all that fond of if it isn't trimmed really well. as i've gotten older and live with a picky eater i can't even cook some things here (including lamb or venison) so it's now unlikely i'll be having any any time soon, but i sure would love a good lamb stew with cabbage and the rest of the things i normally put in there for a change. just something different. with plenty of garlic. at least i can remember how those taste, all of them. now i have to go find a potato and some ranch dressing.
 

CrealCritter

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Great Uncle got his first bison back in the 50s. He raised them up until his death 2 years ago. His daughter and SIL who took over the farm have kept some of them. I never found it to be much different than beef. BUT, I grew up eating deer, elk, and beef as our regular meat with the occasional sheep and bison tossed in. I can taste the difference but to me they just taste like red meat and are all used in the same recipes.

This is the Uncle my parents got beef from, so they were all raised pretty much the same way. Pasture and hay. Finished in spacious yards with free choice hay, grain, melons, and whatever other produce wasnt saleable.

Hubby isn't sure he likes the taste of it. There are a few bison burger places where my family is and we stopped in one. It could have just been how they prepared it. I really need to just pick up some from the store next time I go shopping and let him try it again.
Bison meat contains more protein then beef. The ideal butcher weight is 1200 ~ 1400 lbs. On good pasture they reach ideal weight in 18 months. Finish them the last 3 months on grain or corn to turn the fat from yellow to white. They are pretty much the same as beef but finish quicker and are leaner (less fat) than beef.

But the recommended fence height is 6 foot due to their jumping ability and it's recommended the fence be easy for a human to climb to be able to get out of the pasture quickly, if needed. Also they need lots of room to roam 3 to 4 acres per head which is about twice as much as beef. They also require a fresh water source. I don't think you're gonna get bison to drink out of water through, though I could be wrong on that one.
American Bison are not domesticated or tame like beef either. Nor have American Bison been cross bred like beef. An American Bison is an American Bison.

I don't have the facilities to raise them. We have bison a few times a year. It's sweet tasting, where are beef is buttery tasting. I like bison meat just as well as beef. Bison meat is a special treat for us.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
 

CrealCritter

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Brisket (top right) has settled in with the others. He sure cut a fuss when his hooves first hit the pasture two weeks ago. Today he came up to the fence for a alfalfa cube treat and took it right out of my hand. Then he let me pat him on the neck, while he chewed his alfalfa cube. He did this so I could wipe his nasty cowlick off of my hand onto his neck. ๐Ÿ˜œ I guess he finally figured out, it's a good place to hang if you're a bovine. People talk nice to him, the water through never goes dry, there's a roof over his head if he wants one and he's treated well.
IMG_20220416_135054381~2.jpg


Daisy is top runner in the pasture fashion show, shedding her black coat for a new dun colored one. I really like the dun color and daisy the calf is my favorite of them all. She's very animated and just so dang blasted cute. Daisy is growing fast! She's is my second youngest granddaughter's heifer calf.
IMG_20220416_135117360.jpg


Anyways I just happened to catch them laying around all lazy like this afternoon. I asked them if it was ok if it took their picture. Pasture Boss Oreo moo'ed, so I took that as a yes ๐Ÿ™‚ So far, we've had zero problems out of them and we enjoy having and caring for them.

Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
 

Hinotori

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They drink out of troughs just fine. Uncle John always kept the soon to calve ones in the paddock by his house along with his specific pets. He had 2 bison steer trained to saddle. Would ride in the fair parade sometimes. The tamed ones loved to come up to the fence for petting and beg for treats.
 

CrealCritter

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They drink out of troughs just fine. Uncle John always kept the soon to calve ones in the paddock by his house along with his specific pets. He had 2 bison steer trained to saddle. Would ride in the fair parade sometimes. The tamed ones loved to come up to the fence for petting and beg for treats.
Your Uncle John was a very special man ๐Ÿ‘

Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
 

Alaskan

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Bison vs Beef including history, butchering side by side and grilling porter house steaks from both comparison.

Have you eaten bison before? If so, did you like it?


Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
Yep... tastes like meat.

But the recommended fence height is 6 foot due to their jumping ability and it's recommended the fence be easy for a human to climb to be able to get out of the pasture quickly, if needed

:lol:

Also they need lots of room to roam 3 to 4 acres per head which is about twice as much as beef.
Acres needed per head of cattle is determined by the pasture. What kind of grasses, how much water, etc.

Sooooo... my family land in Texas is, on average, 20 acres for a single cow.

But yes, Bison are larger than the average beef cow... so yes.... will need more land than the beef cow.
 

CrealCritter

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Yep... tastes like meat.



:lol:


Acres needed per head of cattle is determined by the pasture. What kind of grasses, how much water, etc.

Sooooo... my family land in Texas is, on average, 20 acres for a single cow.

But yes, Bison are larger than the average beef cow... so yes.... will need more land than the beef cow.
20 acre per head? ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
 

Alaskan

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20 acre per head? ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Jesus is Lord and Christ ๐Ÿ™โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
Or more... the strip along the east edge is 22 or 24 acres per cow.

Lots of rocks, and dry.

Pretty lush compared to further west Texas..... 40 acres a cow out there.
 

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