By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent AMSTERDAM, Ohio — Twelve years ago, Grant and Nancy Kittle knew they wanted to raise some kind of livestock, something that could be on its own when necessary.
They chose bison.
“He drove a truck and I work for the airlines, so we wanted an animal that could take care of itself,” Nancy Kittle said. “We found an auction (for bison) going on in Pennsylvania. We built fence in about three days on three acres and went to the auction.
“We were going to buy two; we ended up buying five, and four of them were bred.”
Ten years ago, the Kittles outgrew their three acres and moved to a farm with more land. They named their operation the Heads or Tales Bison Ranch.
“When we started out we were going to sell breeding stock, and then the prices dropped because of the droughts out West,” Kittle said. “After about five years we were basically giving the animals away, so we started the meat business.”
They now have 100 head with 30 calves due. Bison gestation is nine months long. Newborn, the babies weigh 35-40 pounds. The adults gather to look at each new calf to make sure it is okay, Kittle said.
“The next thing you know, it’s up and running with the mama,” Kittle said.
At birth the calf’s fur looks orange, she said. After four to five months the coat becomes darker. The females wean the calves at about six months.
The animals eat grass and hay; Kittle gives them a little grain just to keep them coming to the barn area.
“They’re smart,” she said. “They run faster than a horse, they can jump six feet high, they can spin on a dime.
“They’re pretty docile, but they are wild. I could probably walk through the center of the herd, but you have to keep an eye out because if they swing that head, in an instant they could kill you. They’re very powerful.”
The bison are kept inside six-feet-high tensile wire with two hot strands. They could go through anything if they wanted to – and one time, they did.
“They got spooked by hunters and a deer had the fence line knocked down,” Kittle said. “If someone had called me, I could have gone up there with my wheelbarrow (used for feeding grain) and they would have followed me back in, but I guess the gentleman was nervous.
“He called the police and they came with their sirens and lights flashing and scared them all over the place. It took us about three weeks to get them all back, but the town folks and the police helped and nobody got hurt.”
After three years, the bison weigh about 1,400 pounds and are ready to be processed. Kittle is a promoter of bison meat because it has less fat and cholesterol than skinless chicken. It is high in protein and Vitamin B-12, she said.
“People with heart problems that can’t eat red meat, their doctors are now telling them they can eat buffalo meat,” she said. “I have a few customers with high cholesterol or who are overweight.
“I had one gentleman lose 80 pounds in a year eating buffalo meat. It is just very heart-healthy meat.”
All summer long, Kittle markets the meat at farmers’ markets. She also sells to grocery stores, bars, restaurants and health food stores. She and her husband go to several Indian powwows, and several festivals. People are receptive, she said.
Besides the meat, the Kittles have found a good market for buffalo skulls, head mounts and robes. The robes are popular; she sells 10-12 a year.
“We try to use every part of the buffalo because they’re just a beautiful, majestic animal and it is really hard for me to take them in because I like them so much,” Kittle said. “I figured if I have to butcher one, I want to use every part of it.
“People use the legs and carve knives; I have a friend who designs wolves and eagles on the jawbone. There is somebody out there who wants every part of it.”
For information, phone 330-739-4002 or visit www.headsortalesbisonranch.com |
