Transitioning to grass-fed

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Well. That was an easy read!

Like I said, lot of mumbo jumbo.
Your article says:
"Since functional lipid components are contributed thru dietary consumption is reported on mg/100g of meat basis rather than on a % of total fat basis." ??? (Playing with numbers - exactly what Cornell beef department told me. Instead of % total fat, they use meat basis ---- which is LOWER IN FAT on grass fed.
Also, says:
"Beef from grass-fed contains lesser total fat than from grain-fed in all breeds of cattle".
This is exactly what the Michigan study said. A lot simpler.....and says other than someone dieting, insignificant.

Lots of room for people to believe what they want.
It's a game. Charge more because it's "healthier". Win win for you.
Eat organic....it's healthier.
Don't eat GMOs, it's not healthy.

 

[ClinchValley86]

For me, I'm just trying to stay away from the chemicals. And to do that with any integrity whatsoever you have to do forage only. The glyphosate carries through the corn to the cow to the human. That's fact.

Gotta give the folks what they want i say. I offer both corn finished and grass finished. I'm a capitalist. Lol. But I do keep the corn feeding quarantined to one section of the property. It's the rockiest and most useless piece we have. Will likely be torn up for buildings and facilities in the not too distant future.

I think to really make money at the grass thing you've got to retail the beef by the pound. Which means going through a USDA facility. That's something I'm having trouble with. Gotta book with them so far in advance and I'm not sure of much just yet.

To each their own.

 

[Brute 23]

I don't care how healthy people think grass fed is it tastes like poo. I would eat another meat if I was that worried about it before I ate grass fed.

 

[Rmc]

Well. That was an easy read!

Like I said, lot of mumbo jumbo.
Your article says

It irritates me to hear "grass finished" is healthier. PROVE IT. Let me see the RESEARCH proving that statement.

Make up your mind .You say you want research then wine because I provided exactly what you ask for
You say you want proof . I provided a document based of numerous different studies and you wine and say it's to complicated mambo jumbo. Do you want the science or not?
Or are you just going to believe what you want regardless of what is put in front of you?

 

[Cowman42]

I have had some of that grass fed beef. Gamey as hell and tough as shoe leather. I don't know how or why it turns out like that. Old cow maybe? Finished on dirt and sagebrush? That has not been my experience. The stuff I am making is really good. I make new customers come out to the farm and meet my herd, see the farm and give them a sample steak and a pound of ground. I have only had one person not buy at least a 1/4. Folks seem to be interested in the "healthy" aspect of it, but when they eat that sample, it's the flavor that gets them. I grow grass fed because I can't compete with the guy down the road who buys dairy calves for $10 a head and feeds them silage, distillers and beet pulp in a couple 500' pole barns for a year. He floods my local market with "cheap" flavorless beef by the ton. That's a side gig for his contract beet/cucumber farm. He doesn't care if he makes a penny in any given year. Anybody raising Beef Cattle round here is doing for tax deductions or subsidies. I don't know how but the guy next to me gets 40k a year from the feds. He has the worst, sickly, starved cattle you ever saw. I would be bankrupt if I didn't sell grass fed beef for a premium price. That niche keeps me afloat and keeps the land in Ag instead of me building a subdivision on it. I only got on this forum to find some help finding a hay unroller. It's weird as hell that all y'all just fight about how someone does it different.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I have had some of that grass fed beef. Gamey as hell and tough as shoe leather. I don't know how or why it turns out like that. Old cow maybe? Finished on dirt and sagebrush? That has not been my experience. The stuff I am making is really good. I make new customers come out to the farm and meet my herd, see the farm and give them a sample steak and a pound of ground. I have only had one person not buy at least a 1/4. Folks seem to be interested in the "healthy" aspect of it, but when they eat that sample, it's the flavor that gets them. I grow grass fed because I can't compete with the guy down the road who buys dairy calves for $10 a head and feeds them silage, distillers and beet pulp in a couple 500' pole barns for a year. He floods my local market with "cheap" flavorless beef by the ton. That's a side gig for his contract beet/cucumber farm. He doesn't care if he makes a penny in any given year. Anybody raising Beef Cattle round here is doing for tax deductions or subsidies. I don't know how but the guy next to me gets 40k a year from the feds. He has the worst, sickly, starved cattle you ever saw. I would be bankrupt if I didn't sell grass fed beef for a premium price. That niche keeps me afloat and keeps the land in Ag instead of me building a subdivision on it. I only got on this forum to find some help finding a hay unroller. It's weird as hell that all y'all just fight about how someone does it different.

Gotta overlook those who are set in their ways. I'm experiencing the same as you. Anyone that tries it is buying some.

Stick around. Power in number right. Lol.

Most folks have had some crappy grass fed calf that was a bcs of 2.5 when killed. That's what their experience has shown them grass based tastes like when it's not even an apples to oranges comparison.

Gotta have a thick hide here. Besides. They don't know what they don't know. Cattlemen in real life are just like this forum, just most of the time don't bother wasting their/our breath.

I've learned a great lot from these people.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I don't care how healthy people think grass fed is it tastes like poo. I would eat another meat if I was that worried about it before I ate grass fed.

You've not had any that was produced with love is all.

 

[pnw-farmer]

@kenny thomas Lots of variables I suppose. That's the part I'm having trouble with. I'm only grossing $4,400 on an 800 lb carcass selling in shares, mostly quarters. So not really any big money in it. I feel bad pricing it what I've had to.

These were all steers. I will be processing 3 and 4 year old culls that have given a calf or two starting next year. That will help things.

Also got the corn finished thing to help cash flow.

It's a crapshoot. Lol. There is a better route. Just got to find it.

I do believe grazing annuals could help with gain.

Then there's the option of harvesting them a year earlier at a lighter weight. Hanging around 550 or 600 I'd say.

Takes so long to try different things with cattle. I just know I like big carcasses. And want to be able to guarantee the animals life history. Probably a lost cause. But here I am.

I love short legged cattle too. So who knows.

If a person got a perpetual thing going, and had them in the field in stages, it'd take 3 years to get to where you're seeing the fruits.

I think the way forward for me is to find local producers who manage similarly as me, chemicals-wise, and buy their young culls. I'm trying to establish that network now.

https://www.hayandforage.com/article-1956-legume-finished-beef.html
Ongoing studies at Utah State University are demonstrating that spring-born cattle can be finished on legume pastures in a time frame similar to feedlot-finished cattle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

In real life situations I am careful not to badmouth anyone's program. When someone comes to me asking about grass fed beef, I advise them to buy the best steak the guys offers and determine if they would want a freezer full.
There are MANY that do a horrible job of grass finishing program. It takes better management than grain fed. Providing better and better product to eat up to finish.
I love venison - well, I guess that's not a fair comparison. Our venison is pretty much grain fed - with all the corn and soy bean fields.

Anyway, I have nothing against how you finish - but - I sure cringe when I hear "it's healthier".
Rmc - if you can explain your article in plain language - explain the "Since functional lipid components are contributed thru dietary consumption is reported on mg/100g of meat basis rather than on a % of total fat basis." ??? This was the exact same statement Cornell Beef Specialist used in his example of meaningless information. they are just taking a small amount of info based on leaner meat. Just a numbers game. If "this" formula doesn't make it look good, we'll use "this" one. So, since their whole study is based on this measurement - it's meaningless to me. Also, they acknowledge the exact same info as the Michigan study revealed - which is only beneficial to someone on a diel.
Let's just agree to disagree. You are convinced it's healthier - your "study" proves nothing to me. How about the rest of you? did you understand that report - or the 2 reports I posted?

 

[Travlr]

I have had some of that grass fed beef. Gamey as hell and tough as shoe leather. I don't know how or why it turns out like that. Old cow maybe? Finished on dirt and sagebrush? That has not been my experience. The stuff I am making is really good. I make new customers come out to the farm and meet my herd, see the farm and give them a sample steak and a pound of ground. I have only had one person not buy at least a 1/4. Folks seem to be interested in the "healthy" aspect of it, but when they eat that sample, it's the flavor that gets them. I grow grass fed because I can't compete with the guy down the road who buys dairy calves for $10 a head and feeds them silage, distillers and beet pulp in a couple 500' pole barns for a year. He floods my local market with "cheap" flavorless beef by the ton. That's a side gig for his contract beet/cucumber farm. He doesn't care if he makes a penny in any given year. Anybody raising Beef Cattle round here is doing for tax deductions or subsidies. I don't know how but the guy next to me gets 40k a year from the feds. He has the worst, sickly, starved cattle you ever saw. I would be bankrupt if I didn't sell grass fed beef for a premium price. That niche keeps me afloat and keeps the land in Ag instead of me building a subdivision on it. I only got on this forum to find some help finding a hay unroller. It's weird as hell that all y'all just fight about how someone does it different.

I've never met a steak that I couldn't like unless it was in how it was prepared. And I don't get the idea that grain makes such a huge difference that I'd not eat and enjoy grass fed. Maybe because I finish mine on pasture with supplemental grain, and not much grain or for very long. I really think it's more about age than how something is fed.

So I'd eat at your table and thank you for the privilege.

 

[farmerjan]

We do not grain finish any of the beef we have sold, and have several repeat customers. It is mostly for the taste. I don't eat beef out because I do not like the blase' taste. And most hamburger tastes like cardboard to me that I have bought .... I also like my meat rare and don't want to trust some of the beef available to be only cooked rare...
Our cattle get some grain, mostly to keep them coming into the catch pens. Our beef is leaner than most of the "finished" beef...and they are pushing 24 months when they are slaughtered...
I like the full flavor... and the jersey crosses I eat are usually very tender...
Anyone that considers buying our beef, gets a steak and a lb of hamburger also, to try it and see if they like it.
Bigger thing now is that so many that want it do not have the money for it... it's alot all "up front" as opposed to buying 5-10 lbs at the grocery store at a time... and we are tired of having last minute cancellations... with the prices at the stockyards, it is not worth the aggravation anymore to try to increase our market... we sell to those that have had it, like it, and pay for it when it is ready.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I just picked up a 14 year old grass fat that lost her calf in summer. Processor said it cut like butter. I gave each of them a pack of ribeyes to try. Looking forward to the feedback. I have been very 50/50 on this one. But wanted to try.

https://www.hayandforage.com/article-1956-legume-finished-beef.html
Ongoing studies at Utah State University are demonstrating that spring-born cattle can be finished on legume pastures in a time frame similar to feedlot-finished cattle.

I finally caught a few minutes to read the link. Very interesting. The key variable they had plenty of was H20. No doubt about it, the weather has been my problem and the largest contributing factor to this group of steers requiring almost 3.5 years to get to an acceptable (to me) finished weight. Poor growing seasons their entire lives.

I need to figure out a way to get energy levels up during the dormant season. The learning process contonues...

 

[Brute 23]

Let's settle this once and for all. Every one mail me some of their meat and I will sample it and let yall know what's what. TIA

Edit: preferably steaks if you want to win

 

[Travlr]

Let's settle this once and for all. Every one mail me some of their meat and I will sample it and let yall know what's what. TIA

Edit: preferably steaks if you want to win

Let me know when and I'll bring dessert... and a bottle.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Ribeyes in the black tote are from a 12 year old Sim. The ribeyes in the white cooler are out of the 14 year old Sim. Chuck roasts are from the 14 year old as well.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Let's settle this once and for all. Every one mail me some of their meat and I will sample it and let yall know what's what. TIA

Edit: preferably steaks if you want to win

Let me know when and I'll bring dessert... and a bottle.

It really is a shame we are all so spread out. We could have a good shindig.

 

[Wall Murray Greys]

Our program does this in 20-22 months. All grass no grain. Clean white fat and tender enough to cut with a spoon. A lot is determined by the genetics of the animal. The rest is determined by how you finish the animal.

 

[Rmc]

Anyway, I have nothing against how you finish - but - I sure cringe when I hear "it's healthier".
Rmc - if you can explain your article in plain language -

I don't have to explain it in plain language. If you actually read it . At the end of it they have this amazing thing called the conclusion. It explains it in plain English you might actually learn something if you read it . Don't cry prove it with science and then complain about scientific language. If it was only in plain English you would complain because where is the science to back it up. Here is part of the conclusion.

 

[Travlr]

I don't have to explain it in plain language. If you actually read it . At the end of it they have this amazing thing called the conclusion. It explains it in plain English you might actually learn something if you read it . Don't cry prove it with science and then complain about scientific language. If it was only in plain English you would complain because where is the science to back it up.

[

Buddy... you are out of line and have been. Get a clue.

 

[wbvs58]

People down the road to me are tree changers and keep a few cows to breed a few calves to then kill for their own consumption and just grass fed for chemical free health benefits. They are usually around 3 years when they kill them. They don't make any effort to fatten them, their grass is very poor and will often have them butchered when things are pretty tough. They will usually bring me up some steaks as in the past I have lent them a bull. Surprisingly the steaks are not too bad. I like my steak done rare. I think if you like your steaks well done then you need a higher quality product to start with but if you are like me and like them just seared on the outside then you can enjoy a poorer quality product.

Ken