Buffalo calves do not gain weight markedly faster when fed a ration high in concentrates. A recommended feeding regime for finishing buffalo is to allow them to eat roughage free choice from weaning to about 20 months of age. Buffalo bulls fed in this manner should yield a 600-pound carcass by 30 months of age. The diet for finishing animals should never contain less than 10 percent roughage. Buffalo calves weigh 45 to 55 pounds at birth, and if impregnated in June should be born about April 15.
Some managers wean buffalo calves in the fall of the year.
Others let the cows wean the calves. The disadvantages include the increased labor required and the extensive corral system needed to keep animals separate. Also, some cows will not wean their calves, and this can result in the older calf driving the newborn calf away the following spring. For anyone wanting to begin buffalo production, starting with calves is recommended. Buffalo calves adapt more readily to new surroundings than mature animals.