Buffalo Breeders Key Terms

Range into terms used by buffalo breeders

By L. Newton

Buffalo breeding is becoming more popular in the U.S. Once considered almost a hobby, buffalo breeding now helps meet demand for lean meat. Key terms help buffalo breeders communicate with one another as well as understand articles and educational resources. Some terms such as bull, cow, and calf refer to the actual buffalo. The terms rutting season, gestation period, and oestrous cycle all discuss the timing associated with breeding buffalo. Before deciding to begin your own buffalo breeding farm, be certain to learn important key terms.

Bull

Buffalo breeders use the term bull to refer to a male buffalo. A bull is capable or will be capable of breeding.
Try: View a picture and a brief description of a bull buffalo at Flickr.

Rutting season

The rutting season for buffalo is the time when buffalo are eager or ready to mate. This annual season begins in June and ends in September.
Try: Read about the rutting season of buffalo from an article discussing how to breed buffalo at eHow.

Gestation period

A buffalo gestation period is the length of time that it takes for a buffalo fetus to mature for birth after conception. The gestation period is around 287 days for a buffalo.
Try: View more about a buffalo's gestation period under the heading "calf production" at NDSU.

Oestrous cycle

The oestrous cycle refers to the time period in which a female buffalo creates and releases an egg, if it is not fertilized. This cycle for a buffalo is typically 21 days in length and is broken into four phases.
Try: Find a detailed discussion of the buffalo oestrous cycle at the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Sexual maturity

Sexual maturity refers to the age at which a bull buffalo is capable of servicing female buffalo or at which female buffalo are capable of having a fertilized egg. The sexual maturity age for bull American buffalo is 6 years old. The age for cow buffalo is 2 to 3 years of age.
Try: View more about the sexual maturity of buffalo from Buffalo Learning Zone.

Top-quality

A top-quality breeding buffalo is a buffalo that has no irregularities or deformities. This animal breeds without any complications and gains weight under a variety of circumstances.
Try: View top-quality breeding buffalo at Blue Mountain Bison. Also learn more about the features of a top-quality animal.