Grass Fed

[Anonymous]

Can anyone give an explanation of "grass fed"? Are grass fed cattle only fed grass their entire lives? What grasses for pasture and hay are best? Will grass fed work for any breed? Especially Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Galloway and Highland. Those are the breeds I am mainly interested in. Does grass fed work better with certain breeds? I live in north west Pennsylvania. I'm also interested in hearing from anyone who raises the breeds mentioned above that are in my area. Thank You in advance.

 

[Anonymous]

Grass fed, are cattle raised on grass pasture and fed hay in the winter months. No grain is ever fed, consumers look for two things: grass fed, no hormones and in some cases no antibiotics. Take look at our website http://www.roybalranch.com

Lawrence

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

 

[dun]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

dun

 

[Anonymous]

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

Luckily they have short legs ;-)

 

[heiferhoney]

There is a growing market for grass fed beef in our area. I am in Maryland.

Contact http://www.nelivestockalliance.org/

Which is looking for growers of grass fed beef. They will mail you the list of breeds and the feeding requirements. Currently they are paying 1.75 hanging weight minimum. Some are getting as high as 1.95, heifers or steers.

If you are planning your own marketing you might still want to look at their program.

 

[Larry Sansom]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

dun

Guest - you have to overlook some on this board that will never understand the health aspects of grass fed beef or are unwilling to learn. You are in PA - I would visit with Sam Wylie - Breezewood PA. He has some of the best grass based, low input registered angus you will find in the nation. Stay away from anything like Charolais - they will never finish on grass, for and enjoyable eatting esperience. Stay with Angus or Hereford. If a seller starts talking about how many shows his cattle have won - just leave - show type will not work on grass only. Other grass finishers can be located in your area at http://www.eatwild.com on their producers by state list.

 

[ollie]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

dun

Guest - you have to overlook some on this board that will never understand the health aspects of grass fed beef or are unwilling to learn. You are in PA - I would visit with Sam Wylie - Breezewood PA. He has some of the best grass based, low input registered angus you will find in the nation. Stay away from anything like Charolais - they will never finish on grass, for and enjoyable eatting esperience. Stay with Angus or Hereford. If a seller starts talking about how many shows his cattle have won - just leave - show type will not work on grass only. Other grass finishers can be located in your area at http://www.eatwild.com on their producers by state list.

Larry , Your posts are silly. How can you make a statement without any proof . Where is your data that Herefords are a better eating experience than Charolais? There are Herefords that are as sorry eating as it gets and I am sure that there are Charolais that are absolutely great. Don't act like you have it so figured out until you do.

 

[dun]

The latest issue of Beef magazine is dedicated to grass fed beef.

http://beef-mag.com/

dun

 

[MrBilly]

Visit and join the Grass-Fed Beef Farming Discussion Board. You will find 191 people on the list who are interested in, or raising grass-fed beef.
:cboy:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/grassfedbeef/

Billy

 

[heiferhoney]

Larry and Guest,

Guest - you have to overlook some on this board that will never understand the health aspects of grass fed beef or are unwilling to learn. You are in PA - I would visit with Sam Wylie - Breezewood PA. He has some of the best grass based, low input registered angus you will find in the nation. Stay away from anything like Charolais - they will never finish on grass, for and enjoyable eatting esperience. Stay with Angus or Hereford. If a seller starts talking about how many shows his cattle have won - just leave - show type will not work on grass only. Other grass finishers can be located in your area at http://www.eatwild.com on their producers by state list.

Dito on seeing Sam! Look for the Octaro (my spelling might not be exactly right) name on pedigrees... Good doing cattle.

 

[heiferhoney]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

dun

Guest - you have to overlook some on this board that will never understand the health aspects of grass fed beef or are unwilling to learn. You are in PA - I would visit with Sam Wylie - Breezewood PA. He has some of the best grass based, low input registered angus you will find in the nation. Stay away from anything like Charolais - they will never finish on grass, for and enjoyable eatting esperience. Stay with Angus or Hereford. If a seller starts talking about how many shows his cattle have won - just leave - show type will not work on grass only. Other grass finishers can be located in your area at http://www.eatwild.com on their producers by state list.

Larry , Your posts are silly. How can you make a statement without any proof . Where is your data that Herefords are a better eating experience than Charolais? There are Herefords that are as sorry eating as it gets and I am sure that there are Charolais that are absolutely great. Don't act like you have it so figured out until you do.

Ollie, Dun didn't say anything about a better eating experience, he just said Charolais won't finish on grass. And they won't, I've tried to finish them on grass and I have finished them on corn. They will eventually finish on corn but they would never finish on grass at 24 months of age or less and that's the other requirement for grass fed beef.

 

[fit2btied]

From Heiferhoney:

[/qoute]Ollie, Dun didn't say anything about a better eating experience, he just said Charolais won't finish on grass. And they won't, I've tried to finish them on grass and I have finished them on corn. They will eventually finish on corn but they would never finish on grass at 24 months of age or less and that's the other requirement for grass fed beef.[/quote]

Dun didn't say that - Larry Sansom did.

 

[heiferhoney]

ooops! got confused with the layers of boxes! LOL

 

[dun]

ooops! got confused with the layers of boxes! LOL

I say enough things to get controversy going, I sure don't need any help

dun

 

[heiferhoney]

ooops! got confused with the layers of boxes! LOL

I say enough things to get controversy going, I sure don't need any help

dun

Sorry Dun!

 

[ollie]

Mostlly for grass fed cattle, we are looking for cattle with short necks and large stomachs. Galloways and Highlands are good for sure. I've tried GallowayxHereford and HighlandxHereford and they work as well.

I figured you'ld want long necks so they could reach the grass easier

dun

Guest - you have to overlook some on this board that will never understand the health aspects of grass fed beef or are unwilling to learn. You are in PA - I would visit with Sam Wylie - Breezewood PA. He has some of the best grass based, low input registered angus you will find in the nation. Stay away from anything like Charolais - they will never finish on grass, for and enjoyable eatting esperience. Stay with Angus or Hereford. If a seller starts talking about how many shows his cattle have won - just leave - show type will not work on grass only. Other grass finishers can be located in your area at http://www.eatwild.com on their producers by state list.

Larry , Your posts are silly. How can you make a statement without any proof . Where is your data that Herefords are a better eating experience than Charolais? There are Herefords that are as sorry eating as it gets and I am sure that there are Charolais that are absolutely great. Don't act like you have it so figured out until you do.

Ollie, Dun didn't say anything about a better eating experience, he just said Charolais won't finish on grass. And they won't, I've tried to finish them on grass and I have finished them on corn. They will eventually finish on corn but they would never finish on grass at 24 months of age or less and that's the other requirement for grass fed beef.

What is your criteria for finish. Show me the data. There are specific lines of cattle in any breed that will do whatever you want them to do.

 

[heiferhoney]

Ollie,

It's going to take me a few days to get the data. It comes from the University of Mississippi if memory serves me right and was a strict study of 3000 head of grass fed beef. They were developing an ultrasound program to determine which cattle could meet a grass fed beef program. All cattle were ultrasounded and killed to verify the ultrasound data. There are many criteria that they must meet at a maximum of 26 months of age.

Carcass weight must be 550-975 lbs
Fat cover at 45 days prior to harvest must be a minimum of 0.2 inches
Actual ribeye area must be a minimum of 10.0
Minimum percent intramuscular fat must be 3.5%
Tenderness score of 2.5 or less

I don't remember which criteria they didn't meet. But enough of them did not meet it to warrant using them in this program. I am sure there are some charolais that can but the program is geared towards stock where most will meet it or it wouldn't be advantageous for them to travel to ultrasound them.

I suggested this program to our guest poster because they mentioned they were in PA and this program is up and running and PA producers are needed/wanted.

It was nothing personal, just what the program requires and some recent experience I had with a few head of charolais. I am not trying to start a breed battle.

 

[ollie]

3000 head multi breed study. I wonder in the South American countries have heard of this. They may want to switch the country of Brazil from Nelore to Hereford or Angus .

 

[heiferhoney]

Sheesh

Now I remember why I left this board before