grass vs fedlot

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Tc

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is there a difference in quality grade an yeald grade in grass fed an feedlot fed angusx steers?~~~~~~~~~~~~Tc
 
Grass finished beef tends not to marble as well as cattle finished on grain. The flavor is also very different, some like it some don't! The fat of grass finished beef tends to be more yellow in color, where as grain finished is a white fat. It takes longer to finish steers on grass vs grain. There is a market for grass finished "natural" beef if you can hold back on the antibotics and hormones.

Good luck!
 
SimmAngus":23t0st1g said:
Grass finished beef tends not to marble as well as cattle finished on grain. The flavor is also very different, some like it some don't! The fat of grass finished beef tends to be more yellow in color, where as grain finished is a white fat. It takes longer to finish steers on grass vs grain. There is a market for grass finished "natural" beef if you can hold back on the antibotics and hormones.

Good luck!
I have grass finished calves for several years now. Never found the yellow fat so many talk about. Marbeling is a product of genetics as much as feeding. Contential cattle will not work on grass - many angus won't. You have to go back to the deep body - easy fleshing cattle for grass finishing. Fescue will not work - clovers, alfafa mix with grass and proper rotation is needed. Just 30 days of grain will screw up your Omega 3 to 6 ratio, lower the CLA's change the Vit E level in the meat etc. The work is worth the effort. My cattle have a Omega 3 to 6 ratio equal to eatting fish - as checked by the University of WV. Selling Hamburger @ $4.00/lb and have already sold every calf this year for custom processing for freezer beef, plus have deposits on some already for next year at $1.25/lb live weight at finish.
 
Larry-

With all due respect, I do agree there are significant differances which can be obtained via finishing cattle on grass. The fact remains this is a limited market, (which you've found the nich), but for the majority of cattle producers this is not an economical viable route. Our markets in the north have only recently begun to pay premiums for "natural" beef, they continue to discount grass finished animals. You may never have seen the "yellow" fat but the buyers must have! As you, I also finish beef and have pre-sold finished animals which class as natural, and my buyers do pay a premium. The only real differance being mine are finished on grain, and most likely finished well before you go to market. As I said there is a market for grass finished beef, but you need to reasearch those markets, and make certain you can sell them for the added labor and costs assoicated.

Best,

John
 
John,

I too sell "natural" grain fed beef animals. We are charging $1.58 / lb live wt. This comes out to an average of $5.22/lb of beef for all the meat in a split half. I actually think it is too cheap :roll: and reevaluating.

What are you charging?

Now I agree with all the CLA and omega stuff, that they are indeed higher/gram of fat within the beef product, BUT since there is so little fat in grass-fed actually the amounts of these "good fats" have been shown to be higher in grain fed than grass-fed :oops: . This came out of studies at Univ. of Utah, as I recall. This was discussed extensively on the Grass-fed beef farming website:

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

:cboy:
 
Another sacred ox slain

dun

MrBilly":33qftoif said:
John,

I too sell "natural" grain fed beef animals. We are charging $1.58 / lb live wt. This comes out to an average of $5.22/lb of beef for all the meat in a split half. I actually think it is too cheap :roll: and reevaluating.

What are you charging?

Now I agree with all the CLA and omega stuff, that they are indeed higher/gram of fat within the beef product, BUT since there is so little fat in grass-fed actually the amounts of these "good fats" have been shown to be higher in grain fed than grass-fed :oops: . This came out of studies at Univ. of Utah, as I recall. This was discussed extensively on the Grass-fed beef farming website:

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

:cboy:
 

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