Angus Cowman":29kyxdoc said:
IGotMyWings":29kyxdoc said:
With my small bunch of cattle, I've looked at niche marketing to make a buck or two. I can't be certified organic as my pasture was in soybeans last year, but I am feeding natural feed in the form of hay/grass. Now, never having fed straight hay/grass without any supplements, etc., how much longer will I be looking to feed (on average) before a calf obtains market weight? I've heard two years total, and I've heard "not much longer" so I'm asking this extinguished panel of experts!
you do realize that you can market all natural beef and still feed them grain all natural means no antibiotics,no hormones or no feed additives like rumensin or bovatech
In talking to the some of the people who showed an interest in buying my cattle, they are looking for grass fed because there are reports that indicate that grain fed and grain finished beef is lower in certain vitamins, like Omega-3 fatty acids which is something they want more of. I'm not trying to niche myself into a corner, but if I can figure out a way to produce meat that is rich in the goodies they want, and still figure out how to speed up the time frame I'd be happy! I may be asking too much, or maybe I'm just too dense to see that the answer is right in front of me! Now, does anyone know if it's possible to grain feed (staying with natural supplements, etc.) then go all grass and replenish the Omega-3, et al, and if so how long might that take? If you finish for 30 days on corn to "get the grass out" might a person be able to do 45-60 days to put it back in?