[waterbuffalofarmer]

I hate to say this guys about the programme, this farming life! But I protest about the water buffalo being more aggresive than beef cattle. It is simply not true! No wonder I have had people backing out of buying them. The BBC have painted a wrong picture of them. True any animal can be aggressive, especially when newly calved and unpredictable, but it is false to say they are more aggressive. I am speaking from experience here. I have handled newly calved cows and fine one of 2 of them has warned me off, but never attacked me. Also their temperaments are very good, provided they are handled reguarly. Ik Steven mitchell and Ik that he doesn't handle his buffalo as much as we do or a few other people Ik, so their temperaments are not the best. Why do they all have to be tarred with the same brush? I am going to write a strong letter to the BBC about this, How dare they?!!!!

[harmony]

Unfortunately, programme makers don't usually have a clue about the programme matter and are reliant on what the people in the programme tell them. There experience might well not be yours and not represent a true overall picture. You may feel better writing a letter but are probably wasting your time.

[macgro7]

The thing is a lot of people think that when you say water buffalo you mean the south African cape buffalo which are very aggressive.
They are completely different species! Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) have been domesticated for centuries and little kids look after them in many Asian countries! Would you trust a 5 year old kid with a Holstein or even dexter cow? Well they trust then with water buffaloes! In fact they ride on their backs!

[Bramham Wiltshire Horns]

before i start i dont know anything about water buffalo or even steven mitchell for that matter

but i got the feeling on the programme that he doesnt handle the cows often and he seemed to be there for the cameras
it was the little guy that was getting stuck in

[Scotsdumpy]

I think this is a great series and shows farming warts and all. In the first programme I was suprised at how calm the animals were. However, in the programme with the calves, it showed how unpredictable any animal can be when their calves are concerned. The farmer did tell of his awful accident he had with a buffalo and this probably has had some effect (physical or psychological) in how much he gets involved. I personally didn't think very much of his method for catching the calf but then I don't keep buffalo. I take my hat off to him for keeping these animals and admire him for breeding a calmer strain. WBF  if this programme has put off any prospective buyers then they shouldn't be considering keeping any large farm animal.

[Backinwellies]

I was concerned about how long they seemed to be happy to leave an obviously failing calf before they tubed it ....   after freezing it to death for 4 hours they then  move it and just leave it with mum .... surely a stomach tube at the point when they moved it would have been better, after all colostrum loses its full affect after 6 hours

[YorkshireLass]

Slight tangent, but came across this.


How is this not cruelty?


"Can't handle the wet/damp" and a Scottish mudbath do not go well together 


https://aeon.co/videos/one-mans-quixotic-quest-to-bring-american-bison-to-his-scottish-homeland

[waterbuffalofarmer]

they seem pretty content to me, mind I'll watch the rest a little later on. I thought bison were adaptable? These seem very docile

[YorkshireLass]

they seem pretty content to me, mind I'll watch the rest a little later on. I thought bison were adaptable? These seem very docile

How much did you watch? They were dying. And unhandle-able. Having two rattling about in a big trailer can't have been fantastic. They did look better by the end but still...