Grass Fed Question???

FarmerDavid · #21 09/15/12, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genebo

That is a fact that the corn plant is a grass. As a grass, it has the desirable ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids. The seed, as it forms, draws the plant's nutrient value and Omega 6's into it. By the time the seed is fully mature, it is very high in Omega 6's and low in Omega 3's.

Corn plants fed to cattle before the seed forms would qualify as grass for grass fed beef.

The same thing holds true for other grasses grown for their seeds: wheat, oats, barley, etc.

So corn chopped for silage or wheat baled as haylage still qualifies as organic?

springvalley · #22 09/15/12, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerDavid

So corn chopped for silage or wheat baled as haylage still qualifies as organic?

It qualifies as organic as long as it is grown organicly, only as grass fed if it would be chopped or baled before it forms the ears or grain seed. > Thanks Marc

Gabriel · #23 09/15/12, 08:24 AM

In Argentina cattle often graze green leaf corn in their finishing stage. They do so not out of fear of grain, but because it's cheaper to put weight on that way.

genebo · #24 09/15/12, 09:26 AM

Grass fed and organic are two different things. Organic is a regulated term that can only be used by farmers who are certified to adhere to the organic standards. Grass fed is still an unregulated term that can mean different things to different people.

Organic in general refers to products produced without the use of chemical additives, like pesticides, herbicides, some hormones, and most commercial fertilizers.

Organic doesn't refer to what the animal is fed so much as what the animal is NOT fed. A steer can be organic, yet be grain fed, as long as the grain it's fed is organically grown.

A grass fed steer isn't supposed to be fed any grain, but it may be fed grass that was treated with herbicides and chemical fertilizers. That would mean it's not organic. Grass fed, but not organic. It could also be grass fed AND organic, if organic practices are followed and the farmer is certified organic.

The organic labeling requirements are very strict. Two farmers may do the exact same thing and one be certified for organic while the other one isn't and can't use the word organic to describe his products. I can't get an organic certification for my farm because it grew tobacco on part of it about 15 years ago and they say it takes longer than 15 years for the traces of the old tobacco farming methods to disappear from the land.

FEF · #25 09/15/12, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttamd

im just a little confused on why people would feed their cows on a grass-fed diet when they can grow their animals to butcher weight a lot faster on grain. now, im thinking that grain is more expensive than grass, but some people are feeding their cattle/sheep grass-fed so do you think that all of those people have to be selling their meat for more?

-Or maybe in some places grain is so expensive and land/hay is so cheap that you actually save money (and make bigger profits) by feeding your cattle/sheep a grass-fed diet?

basically the main question is: is it ever cheaper to grow cattle/sheep/goats on a grass fed diet? OR do basically all grass-fed farms end up having to sell their meat for a higher price than grain fed farms (in order to make their profit)?

Most people don't sell meat. They sell live cattle. Most of those run their cows on grass and sell the calves at 6-8 months of age. The calves eventually go to a feedlot where they eat a balanced ration that includes grain to grow them out to slaughter weight. A good calf can convert at 4 lbs of ration to 1 lb of beef and is ready for the plate by 12-14 months of age.

By that time, the rancher has another calf crop on the ground to do it all over again.

People who raise grass fed beef generally do sell meat. They claim to be able to profit and if they do, good for them. But from what I've actually seen, most of them are raising meat for their own use and selling a few others to offset their costs. They also have to deal with marketing, bounced checks, dis-satisfied customers, etc.

It's pretty much what you WANT to do. I grew up eating our own grass fed beef. For many years I've been eating grain fed beef. I'm happy with that and don't have any interest in paying the big bucks for the grass fed stuff. There's nothing unhealthy about grain fed beef. To actually benefit from the CLAs in grass fed, you'd need to eat about 5 lbs of it every day. Dietary cholesterol does not affect your blood cholesterol. Saturated fats don't cause heart attacks.

But I'm glad grass fed is available for those who want it. When I find an animal rights guru complaining about feedlots online, I give them the link to EatWild.com and challenge them to buy grass fed meat.

Eat Wild - Find Your State

The Cholesterol Myth: Part 2: Dietary Fats and Heart Disease

mplatt4 · #26 09/15/12, 03:21 PM

the reason alot of people eat grass fed and not feed lot and corn fed meat is they dont want the added hormones and water added to feed lot and store bought meat. Most feed lots feed feed with hormones and steriods and all feed genitically altered grain plus some people just prefer the taste of grass fed beef apposed to grain fed personally I think alot of meat in the stores now days taste like cardboard meaning they dont have that good beef taste and for those who will argue feedlts dont add hormones and steriods I beg to different I mixed feed for several big feedlots in the past I know what is in the feed they are raiseing beef the fastest cheapest way possible and that does not include feeding good healthy grain and hay only diets

Sparkie · #27 09/15/12, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FEF

Most people don't sell meat. They sell live cattle. Most of those run their cows on grass and sell the calves at 6-8 months of age. The calves eventually go to a feedlot where they eat a balanced ration that includes grain to grow them out to slaughter weight. A good calf can convert at 4 lbs of ration to 1 lb of beef and is ready for the plate by 12-14 months of age.

By that time, the rancher has another calf crop on the ground to do it all over again.

People who raise grass fed beef generally do sell meat. They claim to be able to profit and if they do, good for them. But from what I've actually seen, most of them are raising meat for their own use and selling a few others to offset their costs. They also have to deal with marketing, bounced checks, dis-satisfied customers, etc.

It's pretty much what you WANT to do. I grew up eating our own grass fed beef. For many years I've been eating grain fed beef. I'm happy with that and don't have any interest in paying the big bucks for the grass fed stuff. There's nothing unhealthy about grain fed beef. To actually benefit from the CLAs in grass fed, you'd need to eat about 5 lbs of it every day. Dietary cholesterol does not affect your blood cholesterol. Saturated fats don't cause heart attacks.

But I'm glad grass fed is available for those who want it. When I find an animal rights guru complaining about feedlots online, I give them the link to EatWild.com and challenge them to buy grass fed meat.

Eat Wild - Find Your State

The Cholesterol Myth: Part 2: Dietary Fats and Heart Disease

Wow theres a bunch of them in my state. There must be a fair market for it. We raise our own but it's nice to know it's there for people who can't.

FarmerDavid · #28 09/15/12, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by genebo

Grass fed and organic are two different things

yes I know the difference I intended to say grass fed but typed organic.

FarmerDavid · #29 09/15/12, 09:10 PM

I expect to see alot more grass fed beef with the higher cost of commodities. I currently provide my cows with some grain but have cut way back and am considering stoping all together. The beefmasters breed thrives on grass anyway.

With grass fed beef can you provide protein tubs? They need more protein then my pastures currently provide. What about other supplements like mineral blocks?

springvalley · #30 09/15/12, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FarmerDavid

With grass fed beef can you provide protein tubs? They need more protein then my pastures currently provide. What about other supplements like mineral blocks?

Mineral is fine for grass fed, protein tubs on the other hand can contain grain by products, so I`m not sure. > Thanks Marc

springvalley · #31 09/15/12, 10:03 PM

I do believe in the not so distant future, that more and more meat is going to be bought from local growers. More and more people are begining to care what they put in their mouths. I also am not a big fan of large feed lots feeding cattle cheap feed stuffs. In one of our weekly farm papers, there are always ads from big feed lots wanting to buy damaged grains. That tells me they are using this as a cheap filler in their total mix ration. Most all of you know that the feed lots don`t go out of their way to feed the best of the best for feed lot cattle. When I use to feed cattle out for market, they were fed grain, and lots of it, and hay, and I bedded their shed with the best straw I had. Now I did this because when my cattle went through the auction barn, the buyers knew they were my cattle, and they didn`t have a speck of manure on them, which makes them bring more money. I use to top the market the day I took my cattle to market, and the buyers loved them. Now I grass feed my Jersey steers, and sell each and everyone private. I get a deposit when people want one and it is paid in full before they pick up their steer from the locker. I also get more than double the price I use to sell my grain fed steers at the auction barn. I have never had a unhappy customer, from doing this type of sale of beef. I also sell some of my cows this way, and some as hamburger cows. And this beef is way better than most people can buy at their local supermarket. I have also figured out that if a small farmer is going to make it in this large minded agriculture world we live in, is to sell everything he or she grows private to the public. When you cut out the middle man, your profits go up. And I have also figured out that the government does not like that, they hate the fact that someone sells to the public without them knowing whats going on. I only see the sale of small farm raised livestock, veggies, milk and grains is only going to grow in sales. Some people will never care what they put in their mouths, and that is their choice. I`m glad some people care enough to buy local. > Thanks Marc

Yvonne's hubby · #32 09/16/12, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttamd

im just a little confused on why people would feed their cows on a grass-fed diet when they can grow their animals to butcher weight a lot faster on grain. now, im thinking that grain is more expensive than grass, but some people are feeding their cattle/sheep grass-fed so do you think that all of those people have to be selling their meat for more?

-Or maybe in some places grain is so expensive and land/hay is so cheap that you actually save money (and make bigger profits) by feeding your cattle/sheep a grass-fed diet?

basically the main question is: is it ever cheaper to grow cattle/sheep/goats on a grass fed diet? OR do basically all grass-fed farms end up having to sell their meat for a higher price than grain fed farms (in order to make their profit)?

I raise a few calves every year on my place. They are entirely grass fed... other than the milk they get from their mamas who are also grass fed. Feeding them grain might get them to market weight a bit faster but then..... what is time to a cow? and besides... I am only going to get one "crop" per year anyway. It costs me literally NOTHING to feed them the way I do it.... buying grain costs money. The cows get some hay through the winter months... but even the hay is cheap compared to feeding them grain. I have one field set aside for hay... costs me maybe 200 bucks a year to mow, rake, and roll that field twice a year. A trace mineral block now and then keeps them all happy. This year I sold 6 calves for $3,000... minus a couple hundred for minerals and cost to take up hay. thats a good enough profit to suit me. When I bought baby calves.. fed them milk replacer and grain I made at best 20 bucks per head... times 15 or 20 head per year... yippee skippy 3 or 4 hundred bucks profit and lots more work... not counting if you lose one you have no profit at all... I like grass feeding cows much better!

mountainlaurel · #33 09/17/12, 05:28 AM

We sell grass-fed and we can't keep up with the demand. We sell whole, halves and quarters and also by the cut. Every year there has been more of a demand. We also sell the cuts at a farmers market and it is growing like wild fire.
We use almost no grain, we are not certified organic but we follow organic practices like using chicken litter for fertilizer, lime from the local quarry, no growth hormones,no stimulants,which commercial raised cattlemen use to make theirs grow faster.

But ours don't die from organ failure neither because they are not pushed so hard. It's like a hot house tomato and one that grows in your garden. Which one grows better, which one tastes better, which one is better for you? The one raised outside in the sunshine. Cows are made to eat grass, not grain.

BTW, you can find us on eatwild.com under Virginia, Md or West Virgina. Shagbark Mountain Cattle