Milking Water Buffalo in West Cork

patsy_mccabe

Making Mozzarella cheese in West Cork

Willfarman

fair play to him alls same lads.

pedigree 6

What's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

pedigree 6

pedigree 6 wrote: »

What's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

You can wash your hands in a Bison.:pac:

alps

pedigree 6 wrote: »

You can wash your hands in a Bison.:pac:

Thought a bison was for hoovering the floor

Victor

More practically.

pedigree 6 wrote: »

What's the difference between a Buffalo and a Bison?

Water Buffalo from Asia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo Not dissimilar to African buffalo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_buffalo - both are tropical animals.

Bison from Europe / North Asia / North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bison

Willfarman

Anyone ever eaten it?

dudara

Johnny's cheeses are lovely and the range is widening out. I've also tried steak and burgers from the buffalo. It's leaner than beef and very nice

Mooooo

The meat is in a few local butchers and restaurants popular enough. If you like beef you'd most likely like it, stronger flavour

Lady Haywire

Are they '@bearapigs' on Twitter? Noticed they followed me and was wondering about them, doubt there's too many farms with water buffalo in Cork!

Mooooo

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Are they '@bearapigs' on Twitter? Noticed they followed me and was wondering about them, doubt there's too many farms with water buffalo in Cork!

Dunno about twitter but this crowd are based outside macroom

dudara

They're @macroombuffalo on Twitter. Based in Cill na Martra (Kilnamartyra), a bit west of Macroom

patsy_mccabe

It would be some crack to get a few of them. Wonder how they'd cross with the limousin?:D

Mooooo

I think start8ng out he had cows with them but had to separate them because they wouldn't let the cows near the water troughs otherwise they are stubborn but quiet apparently

Willfarman

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

It would be some crack to get a few of them. Wonder how they'd cross with the limousin?:D

They won't cross with cattle though they are considered to be bovines. They are worm and fluke resistant apparently. And a lot more docile than your average suckler too.

50HX

Willfarman wrote: »

They won't cross with cattle though they are considered to be bovines. They are worm and fluke resistant apparently. And a lot more docile than your average suckler too.

educate me here - but are cattle not bovines??

Lady Haywire

50HX wrote: »

educate me here - but are cattle not bovines??

Water buffalo won't hold to cows for some reason. American bison/buffalo will though. That's where your 'Beefalo' comes from.

Willfarman

isn't it odd they didn't make it to these shores a long time ago given their popularity in Africa Asia and parts of Europe

minterno

I had it a few times in canada and found it dry and tough but had a nice taste. As a previous poster said its a bit like beef. Very healthy as low in fat.hence the dryness.

patsy_mccabe

Willfarman wrote: »

They won't cross with cattle though they are considered to be bovines....

I know, I googled it. Its like the guy that crossed a Bulldog with a Shih Tsu and ended up with a Bull****.

pedigree 6

Willfarman wrote: »

isn't it odd they didn't make it to these shores a long time ago given their popularity in Africa Asia and parts of Europe

Not odd at all. They barely made it into Europe.

The only reason they made it into the Balkans was by coming with Muslim farmers from Egypt during the Reign of the Ottoman Empire in the area and then through trade across the Adriatic made it across into Italy.

Traditionally all the western breeds especially the British breeds had to be small and docile enough to be winched onto big ocean going sailing ships as either food for the crew (beef or milk) and farmers bred the cattle for this trade. This was a big trade considering the size of the British and French (even Spanish and Portuguese) navies and merchant navies then.

Edit: even the tallow from fat cattle had many uses in the navies.
From keeping the ropes right and supple to waxing the boards and making candles, etc, etc.

Buffalo i'd say wouldn't make the greatest bedfellows on ships and don't get fat like british cattle afaik.

Willfarman

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Not odd at all. They barely made it into Europe.

The only reason they made it into the Balkans was by coming with Muslim farmers from Egypt during the Reign of the Ottoman Empire in the area and then through trade across the Adriatic made it across into Italy.

Traditionally all the western breeds especially the British breeds had to be small and docile enough to be winched onto big ocean going sailing ships as either food for the crew (beef or milk) and farmers bred the cattle for this trade. This was a big trade considering the size of the British and French (even Spanish and Portuguese) navies and merchant navies then.

Edit: even the tallow from fat cattle had many uses in the navies.
From keeping the ropes right and supple to waxing the boards and making candles, etc, etc.

Buffalo i'd say wouldn't make the greatest bedfellows on ships and don't get fat like british cattle afaik.

ah Christ we've come a long way from sail ships. Steam ships then diesel then even air freight and its taken till the 21st century to see a milking herd!

pedigree 6

Willfarman wrote: »

ah Christ we've come a long way from sail ships. Steam ships then diesel then even air freight and its taken till the 21st century to see a milking herd!

Well even in the last 50 years the main market for dairy produce was fresh milk.
Would you drink milk that is 8% fat and 4% protein?
You'd want to spoon it out of the bottle.:P

Ah no seriously though there's a catch with everything.
Copied from the U.N's agriculture site.

River buffaloes usually produce between 1 500 and 4 500 litres of milk per lactation. They have a significantly longer productive life than cattle, providing calves and milk until they are up to 20 years of age. The many factors that constrain commercial buffalo milk production include animals’ late age at first calving, the seasonality of oestrus, and the long calving interval and dry period.

http://www.fao.org/agriculture/dairy-gateway/milk-production/dairy-animals/water-buffaloes/en/#.WOFfOIWcHIU

Willfarman

They're on big week on the farm on Thursday?

Willfarman

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/co-cork-buffalo-farmer-seeks-partnerships/

Going from strength to strength. Would any dairy farmer risk it and sell the cows for buffaloes?

patsy_mccabe

He was at the Lidl area at the ploughing. Bit of a mini celeb now. Plenty of people talking to him.

On a similar note I'm developing a right gra for goat's cheese. Had some of that St. Tolas cheese recently in a restaurant and it was lovely.

Willfarman

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

He was at the Lidl area at the ploughing. Bit of a mini celeb now. Plenty of people talking to him.

On a similar note I'm developing a right gra for goat's cheese. Had some of that St. Tolas cheese recently in a restaurant and it was lovely.

Aldi I'd say he was at? Goats cheese tends to go in phases here. There would be a bit bought and would go fairly quickly then another bit bought and it'd end up in the back of the fridge until the "what the hell is that? put it in in the bin day!"
Mozzarella would have no such problem..

Floki

Willfarman wrote: »

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/co-cork-buffalo-farmer-seeks-partnerships/

Going from strength to strength. Would any dairy farmer risk it and sell the cows for buffaloes?

It's hard enough trying to keep my hol/fr's and mols from poaching the ground atm without having buffaloes out.:p

kollegeknight

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

He was at the Lidl area at the ploughing. Bit of a mini celeb now. Plenty of people talking to him.

On a similar note I'm developing a right gra for goat's cheese. Had some of that St. Tolas cheese recently in a restaurant and it was lovely.

Are you ever around ennistymon? There is a shop/deli owned by the sister of the woman who owns the goat farm. She sells the cheese. But I've never been in to comment on quality and never tried goats cheese. I ate bbq sheep cheese in Poland but I found it too salty.

patsy_mccabe

kollegeknight wrote: »

Are you ever around ennistymon? There is a shop/deli owned by the sister of the woman who owns the goat farm. She sells the cheese. But I've never been in to comment on quality and never tried goats cheese. I ate bbq sheep cheese in Poland but I found it too salty.

I kinda know the family. Our paths crossed about 20 years ago. I knew the brother and met the sisters too. Nice family and fluent Irish speakers too.

Willfarman

Floki wrote: »

It's hard enough trying to keep my hol/fr's and mols from poaching the ground atm without having buffaloes out.:p

They have webbed feet...a lad in the pub told me

Floki

Willfarman wrote: »

They have webbed feet...a lad in the pub told me

Suit the macamore's so.

Willfarman

Floki wrote: »

Suit the macamore's so.

https://m.facebook.com/macamorebuffalo/ They seem to thrive on it anyway..

Markcheese

You'd have one potential customer... Who'd have you over a barrel,
Their main customer is aldi who sells the product as a loss leader (currently).
. . And there is no milk quota problems anymore so why bother buying 3000 euro animals,unless the profit per acre is sky high..

ganmo

Markcheese wrote: »

You'd have one potential customer... Who'd have you over a barrel,
Their main customer is aldi who sells the product as a loss leader (currently).
. . And there is no milk quota problems anymore so why bother buying 3000 euro animals,unless the profit per acre is sky high..

What do most farmers complain about? The price they get.

This guy gets to name his price

Willfarman

They are so new to us on this island there aren't many sources to make an informed decision. I agree If a person committed his farm to it it would be a risk if anything went sour.. Pardon the pun!

kerry cow

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

Water John

Well buffalo burger is on the menu in the nearby restaurant to the Lynch farm, Mai Fitz's in Lissarda.

Got a tub of his Buffalo Ricotta cheese in Scallys Supervalu in Clon on Friday.
200g for €2, ridicolous value. Had it instead of butter on a multi seed bread, divine.



Fair play to him, and Toby as well for starting the venture. Toby still has Toonsbridge Mozzerella.
Johnny not exclusive to Aldi. Was firstly taken on by Supervalu.

Anyone watching This Farming Life would have seen the bufallo meat farm in Scotland. They are a very domesticated placid animal. I think the main problem is prolapsed wombs.

Willfarman

kerry cow wrote: »

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

Larry won't but a smaller independent abbatoir will kill it but it would be up to yourself to find a market for it.

tractorporn

Willfarman wrote:

Larry won't but a smaller independent abbatoir will kill it but it would be up to yourself to find a market for it.

Any value in taking the bull calves off him?

Water John

Don't know that but he was looking for a farmer to supply buffalo milk. Not sure if the offer has been taken up.

tractorporn

Water John wrote:

Don't know that but he was looking for a farmer to supply buffalo milk. Not sure if the offer has been taken up.

I'm too far away for the milk but I would be keen on turning them into meat. Although I'd say you'd have to do all direct sales like the guy on this farming life.

kowtow

kerry cow wrote: »

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

I don't know but I'd pay to watch the fight.

Sam Kade

kerry cow wrote: »

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

Him? Reminds me of that stupid song cows with guns.

patsy_mccabe

kerry cow wrote: »

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

Larry would have the thicker hide anyway.

Bullocks

kerry cow wrote: »

What do you do with a cull buffalo .
Would Larry kill him ?

Eat them , just leave them hanging awhile longer and I'm sure they would be grand .