If the fences aren't strong enough, they'll go back home. He has more to make. The working chute to hold buffalo is much like a cattle working chute, except it is adapted for the buffalo's larger neck and shoulders. Before Keller brought the buffalo home from Michigan, they were de-horned, which decreases their aggressiveness. In addition to grazing the pasture, Keller supplements his buffalo's diet with hay, a little grain, and a mineral specially formulated for buffalo.
Buffalo require higher levels of selenium, vitamin E, and trace minerals than beef cattle.
The color of the buffalo's coat is one indication of its mineral status. A dark brown coat indicates the animal has received adequate amounts of mineral, while a tan coat indicates a mineral deficiency. Buffalo are hardy animals that don't need shelter. They're pretty much a maintenance-free animal. A cow usually has a 20-year reproductive life and some females produce calves through their 30th birthday.