An Introduction to Buffaloes

[River Buffaloes]

Of course it would be a VERY long drive and swim for @River Buffaloes

You can do it, you have such a manly name.

 

[River Buffaloes]

@River Buffaloes where are you? You haven’t posted in 4 days, worried about you. With the Covid raging in India, I hope you are ok.

So far I am fine, my phone was having a tantrum. Situation here is beyond breaking point, it has collapsed.

 

[Baymule]

So glad you are ok!

 

[Bruce]

ME Water Buffalo Company

They are about 340 miles (550 km) from here.

but they also keep a whole lot of strange animals like Zebras, camels

You do know that in the USA water buffalo would be considered to be strange animals by most
I have 2 alpacas, they are camelids. Guess I have strange animals

You can do it, you have such a manly name.

I was thinking YOU would be doing the walking and swimming!
Regarding the name. My mother was going to name me Matt but was afraid I would get teased, called "Door mat" and the like. So yes, the "strong" name of Bruce. BUT then came a movie with a gay character named Bruce and everyone named Bruce was then automatically gay and treated poorly by the other kids. Matt would have probably worked out better.

 

[River Buffaloes]

Hello everyone, hopefully all of you are doing good.

What according to you are the pros and cons of keeping Water Buffaloes?

 

[Baymule]

I have to hand it to you, you are totally focused and passionate about your beloved buffaloes. From what I have learned from you, the pro for me would be that they are so friendly and gentle. The con is that I don't have one. LOL LOL On just 8 acres, I don't have room for cattle, so went with small livestock. I've had cattle, I like cattle but I don't want them sue to space.

Do you ever slaughter buffaloes for family meat?

 

[River Buffaloes]

I have to hand it to you, you are totally focused and passionate about your beloved buffaloes. From what I have learned from you, the pro for me would be that they are so friendly and gentle. The con is that I don't have one. LOL LOL On just 8 acres, I don't have room for cattle, so went with small livestock. I've had cattle, I like cattle but I don't want them sue to space.

Do you ever slaughter buffaloes for family meat?

Also Buffaloes are robust animals with very few health issues. They thrive on rough quality pasture, they can control external parasites, if they are allowed to wallow. They are very resistant to mastitis.

Buffalo milk is very nutritious and contains more protein, calcium, sodium and good fats than cow's milk. All the while containing very significantly lower amount of cholesterol than cow's milk. That's why the milk is superfluous white.

 

[River Buffaloes]

I have to hand it to you, you are totally focused and passionate about your beloved buffaloes. From what I have learned from you, the pro for me would be that they are so friendly and gentle. The con is that I don't have one. LOL LOL On just 8 acres, I don't have room for cattle, so went with small livestock. I've had cattle, I like cattle but I don't want them sue to space.

Do you ever slaughter buffaloes for family meat?

We do sell male calves after they are weaned to the butchers, but we do not kill them ourselves. There are three reasons the first reason is that we do not have storing facilities like you have because we do not have reliable power supply, the second reason is that there's a taboo against eating old meat, third reason is that there's a taboo against killing animals you have raised from a calf or a kid or a lamb. You can buy live animals and slaughter, but not something you have raised. You can only raise birds and fish and then kill and eat them.

So we do not slaughter our animals, but we sell them on occasions of festivals like Holi, Eid, Dushahra and during Hindu and Muslim marriage seasons. Indian marriages are very big social events. Whole village is invited.

Buffaloes store their fat under their skin. The rest of the meat is lean, but very tender and very low in cholesterol. Buffaloes gain weight much faster than the cows do.

 

[Baymule]

Those taboos are interesting. Not having reliable power to keep a freezer running sure makes it hard to store food, especially meats. The taboo against eating old meat makes perfect sense as spoiled meat would make people sick. The taboo against eating a calf, kid or lamb you have raised makes sense too. A good animal caretaker loves their animals and eating one might hurt your heart.

Birds and fish are small and easily consumed at one or two meals. So that makes sense too.

With all the virtues of buffaloes versus cattle, I wonder why more people don’t raise them. In one of your pictures, the walls are brick and very high, it that to discourage predators?

 

[River Buffaloes]

Those taboos are interesting. Not having reliable power to keep a freezer running sure makes it hard to store food, especially meats. The taboo against eating old meat makes perfect sense as spoiled meat would make people sick. The taboo against eating a calf, kid or lamb you have raised makes sense too. A good animal caretaker loves their animals and eating one might hurt your heart.

Birds and fish are small and easily consumed at one or two meals. So that makes sense too.

With all the virtues of buffaloes versus cattle, I wonder why more people don’t raise them. In one of your pictures, the walls are brick and very high, it that to discourage predators?

Well people are raising Buffaloes from Phillipines to Egypt. More people rely on Water Buffaloes than any other livestock. However there are some obvious cons of keeping Buffaloes that I was going to mention, but I got busy.