Durham Ranch

The Durham Ranch, near Gillette, Wyoming is a 50,000+ acre ranch which was purchased by the Flocchini family, who has been raising buffalo on it since 1965. Since 1985, the ranch has been practicing the goal oriented approach to managing its resources known as Holistic Management.

Bison is the only livestock raised on the Durham Ranch which is one of the oldest and largest bison operation in the world. With the ranch's management, the bison graze the plains much like they used to historically, spending a limited time in a given area, moving on to fresh grass, and not returning to those grazed areas until the grasses have recovered. This helps to insure a good balance between the health of both the land and the bison.

Normally in November, the calves are weaned at age 6 to 7 months old. The breeding program animals are selected at this time and the balance are utilized in the meat program. A number of the bull calves are then shipped, after adapting to being weaned, to select feedlot lots in Idaho or Nebraska. There, they receive specifically formulated nutritionally balanced, growing and finishing rations. Finishing rations are used only for the last 60-90 days, thus minimizing the amount of fat cover and insuring top quality meat.

These rations include all-natural hay, silage and grain combinations. There are absolutely no animal by-products, neither growth hormones nor stimulants ever used in the feed program. The seldom individual sick animal is isolated, treated under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian and then returned to the others after fully recovering. These animals are grown until ready for harvest, weighing 900 to 1100 lbs. This would begin to occur in September and continue through January.

Other animals in the feed program would be introduced into the feedlot as 16-18 month old bulls that would come off the ranch at the end of the grass season in the fall. These animals will spend 3-6 months and be ready for slaughter in the winter through spring months. There are also non-pregnant, 2 to 3 year old heifers that go into the feeding program late in the fall. Most of these would be finished up to the point of slaughter, right on the the ranch. These animals would be ready through the winter months, into the spring.

Some of the specific feeding and timing objectives of the Durham Ranch are: 1) to produce consistent, high quality bison meat. 2) To provide fresh, healthy and wholesome bison meat at a competitive price. 3) To be able to supply a year-round fresh product to our customers. 4) To reduce the amount of time our animals spend in the feedlot.

The slaughter plants that are used are federally inspected facilities, located within a few hours ride from where the bison are finished. Best Management Practices are used at all levels of our program and minimizing the stress on the animals is important to us and is part of our standard procedure.

Once the animals are slaughtered, the carcasses are processed under federal inspection whether at our family-owned plant in Reno, Nevada or another plant that we work closely with. The product is then packaged and distributed to our customers from coast to coast.

Because the demand of our high quality product is so high, and we have a limited amount of space to raise animals, the Durham Ranch has established relationships with a few select, like minded family producers that follow our high standards of production. We work with these folks on the feeding regimens so that the product fits right into our goals and marketing programs.

We are very proud of all of our operations and invite any of our existing or potential customers to visit one or all of these Flocchini Family-owned operations. Please contact me at the ranch with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

A.J. 'John' Flocchini III
Owner/Manager
Durham Ranches, Inc.