Bison love to eat grass and they do it often. I haven't determined exactly
how much fresh grass they eat in a day, but I can say that in a naturally grazing bison herd the animals will spend many hours during both the day and the night grazing. On more than one occasion at the ranch during a still night I have clearly heard the sound of a bison herd grazing somewhere in the pasture. This sound, which is usually too quiet to be heard during the day, is basically the combination of two sounds: the continuous tearing of grass and intermittent burping.
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| The two tire water tanks with the new temporary three "wire" electric rope fence in the background. The electrified rope, which is woven from strands of nylon and wire, seems to work quite well for temporary internal fencing. |
Now that our recent
late winter grass shortage and consequential need to purchase hay for the bison seems to have passed, I decided it would be a good idea to start periodically fencing off parts of the pasture to give the grass a break from grazing pressure. This first exclusion area includes the 5 acres of our lower pasture as well as a newly seeded 3.5 acre pasture expansion within the currently fenced area.
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| An overview of the lower bison pasture showing the 5 acres of pasture, the new temporary electric fence, and the locations of both the tire water tanks and the pond water access point. |
Hopefully, with the right amount of rain and sunshine this summer, the lower pasture will be ready for grazing this fall.
