Transitioning to grass-fed

[JeffL916]

Apologies in advance if this is a repeated topic, but I'm new to the site.

My wife and I are first-time cattle owners as of a few weeks ago. We bought a Dexter cow/bull calf pair plus a 2yo Dexter steer. The prior owner had them primarily on pasture in Central FL and supplemented with some grain. My wife and I would like to transition them to 100% grass fed. Since buying them we have weaned them off the grain and this week they're purely on pasture grass (primarily bahia) with some alfalfa pellets twice a day. They seem to be doing fine so far, maintaining their size/weight and the poop looks normal. This has raised a few questions for us though:

- For finishing a steer, is pasture grass with alfalfa pellet supplement a smart idea?
- For the cow and her 3 month bull calf, is alfalfa supplement necessary or should we have them purely on pasture grass while it's growing well and save the alfalfa supplement for winter when the Central FL bahia stops growing and they're on hay?
- Are there other/better options than a pasture grass/alfalfa pellet combo for finishing out a grass-fed steer?
- If we're feeding small amounts of alfalfa pellets as supplement (less than 2% body weight), do we need to be concerned about bloat?

I've been reading up and it seems there are a million different schools of thought, but I'd appreciate any of your thoughts or suggestions. Thank you!

 

[smartin0022]

I'm not in you're area so can't answer all your questions. But cured alfalfa hay or cubes shouldn't make a cow bloat. That said i had to let the air out of a bull i owned once so it can happen when supplementing with alfalfa.

 

[BC]

I wish you luck trying to finish a calf on bahia or bermuda. If you are dead set on grass finished beef, you will need to plant ryegrass and clover in the fall and harvest the calf in late May. The reason is higher energy value in the ryegrass and clover. Bahia is fine for a cow but not for finishing out to eat.

 

[Travlr]

Apologies in advance if this is a repeated topic, but I'm new to the site.

My wife and I are first-time cattle owners as of a few weeks ago. We bought a Dexter cow/bull calf pair plus a 2yo Dexter steer. The prior owner had them primarily on pasture in Central FL and supplemented with some grain. My wife and I would like to transition them to 100% grass fed. Since buying them we have weaned them off the grain and this week they're purely on pasture grass (primarily bahia) with some alfalfa pellets twice a day. They seem to be doing fine so far, maintaining their size/weight and the poop looks normal. This has raised a few questions for us though:

- For finishing a steer, is pasture grass with alfalfa pellet supplement a smart idea?
- For the cow and her 3 month bull calf, is alfalfa supplement necessary or should we have them purely on pasture grass while it's growing well and save the alfalfa supplement for winter when the Central FL bahia stops growing and they're on hay?
- Are there other/better options than a pasture grass/alfalfa pellet combo for finishing out a grass-fed steer?
- If we're feeding small amounts of alfalfa pellets as supplement (less than 2% body weight), do we need to be concerned about bloat?

I've been reading up and it seems there are a million different schools of thought, but I'd appreciate any of your thoughts or suggestions. Thank you!

A question... why are you wanting to go 100% grass fed?

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Jeffl916> If you have'nt already done so check out Grassland Farmer Magazine. Like any source of information, including this one,
they may not be an end all for information, they do have information from various sources which may have a beneficial application
to what you are attempting. What was it about the Dexter that led you to apply it to a business model of producing grass fed beef?
The type and color of cow you raise or the vehicle you drive is your choice but I would think getting a Dexter to marble or grade choice
on grass would be tantamount to expecting a Nash Rambler to win at Bristol. What ever you do regarding your plan go into it with all
the information you can gather and the indomitable will to succeed! Good Luck LVR

 

[JeffL916]

Jeffl916> If you have'nt already done so check out Grassland Farmer Magazine. Like any source of information, including this one,
they may not be an end all for information, they do have information from various sources which may have a beneficial application
to what you are attempting. What was it about the Dexter that led you to apply it to a business model of producing grass fed beef?
The type and color of cow you raise or the vehicle you drive is your choice but I would think getting a Dexter to marble or grade choice
on grass would be tantamount to expecting a Nash Rambler to win at Bristol. What ever you do regarding your plan go into it with all
the information you can gather and the indomitable will to succeed! Good Luck LVR

Thank you for the responses. We want grass-fed for the health benefits, and to eat the beef as God created it. We currently eat and enjoy grass-fed beef, just have never raised our own. To each his own but we're at least going to give the grass-fed route a try.

We're not trying to create a business model or generate any type of profit so much as we're trying to establish something small-scale and sustainable that ourselves and a few other families can invest in and reap the benefits. We chose Dexter because our kids are 6 and 8 and we want them around the cows with as little worry as possible. We've visited a few Dexter farms and found the animals to be docile and manageable. Their smaller size is a benefit since we're only on a few acres, plus they'll be easier on the infrastructure (since pasture boards are $17 each locally now!).

And BC, appreciate the planting advice. I am hoping to seed this fall with winter rye and whatever else our local ag extension suggests for our region. That was the idea though transitioning our steer from grain to alfalfa, in the hopes that the alfalfa pellets would be a good supplement to the bahia pasture their on now.

Thanks again!!

 

[wbvs58]

Didn't god create corn, wheat,barley, oats etc?

Ken

 

[JeffL916]

Feels like I'm opening a can of worms, maybe this is the wrong place to ask about grass-fed beef. But God created plenty of things that cattle didn't eat until it was fed to them, including corn, grain, molasses, etc. I realize we're not going the traditional route but cattle were designed to eat grass, grass-fed beef has a different nutritional profile, and that's the route we'd prefer to go.

Not knocking or discrediting anybody else's methods or practices, but we'll certainly perk up to any advice or suggestions we can get.

 

[Travlr]

Thank you for the responses. We want grass-fed for the health benefits, and to eat the beef as God created it. We currently eat and enjoy grass-fed beef, just have never raised our own. To each his own but we're at least going to give the grass-fed route a try.

We're not trying to create a business model or generate any type of profit so much as we're trying to establish something small-scale and sustainable that ourselves and a few other families can invest in and reap the benefits. We chose Dexter because our kids are 6 and 8 and we want them around the cows with as little worry as possible. We've visited a few Dexter farms and found the animals to be docile and manageable. Their smaller size is a benefit since we're only on a few acres, plus they'll be easier on the infrastructure (since pasture boards are $17 each locally now!).

And BC, appreciate the planting advice. I am hoping to seed this fall with winter rye and whatever else our local ag extension suggests for our region. That was the idea though transitioning our steer from grain to alfalfa, in the hopes that the alfalfa pellets would be a good supplement to the bahia pasture their on now.

Thanks again!!

There is a half way point between 100% grass fed, and grain finished. For my own table I would separate out the animal(s) I was going to finish and feed them in a separate pasture for only a month to five weeks. Keeping it simple by using a dairy ration and no more than a gallon of feed a day. I'd choose the animals based on easy-keeping and how I expected them to put on weight. Simple, easy, and I was never disappointed. Not knocking grass fed, but a little grain adds something. You also need a fat cover to age your beef properly.

 

[farmerjan]

Stockman Grass Farmer magazine..... there are other ones too. You need to be a GRASS farmer and learn to manage the grass to successfully raise beef on just grass... Yes it can be done. But you have to deal with the climate and such. Alfalfa pellets are a good supplement in lieu of feeding alfalfa hay. The trick to good beef is to have the animal ALWAYS gaining... and they have to have exceptional pasture to do that.
Dexters are a dual purpose breed. Yes, smaller... but don't let their size fool you. They are not all gentle and manageable... They also will not put on the weight that a strictly beef animal will. That said, I raise jersey steers for my beef... by product of my jersey cows... and I do not always manage their grazing as good as I should. I do feed a little grain... maybe 2-3 lbs every couple of days so negligible amount...especially when they are getting within 60-90 days of kill dates... mostly to keep them friendly and coming into the catch pen quickly and without stress...makes getting them in to load a WHOLE lot easier...

 

[smartin0022]

Feels like I'm opening a can of worms, maybe this is the wrong place to ask about grass-fed beef. But God created plenty of things that cattle didn't eat until it was fed to them, including corn, grain, molasses, etc. I realize we're not going the traditional route but cattle were designed to eat grass, grass-fed beef has a different nutritional profile, and that's the route we'd prefer to go.

Not knocking or discrediting anybody else's methods or practices, but we'll certainly perk up to any advice or suggestions we can get.

King James Bible
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.

I tried grass fed its all BS. I promise you grain fed taste better all the way around you want omega 3's catch some crappie. Run 10 minutes extra a day on the treadmill and save yourself the headache.

 

[JeffL916]

In the words of Ron Swanson "Fishing is for sport only. Fish meat is practically a vegetable."

I do appreciate all the tips and advice, thank you all!

 

[Lee VanRoss]

In the words of Ron Swanson "Fishing is for sport only. Fish meat is practically a vegetable."

I do appreciate all the tips and advice, thank you all!

Jeff> Tip you can use. Go to electric fencing. I like 8 joule and up with at least 3 ground rods. Much more economical once you
start moving pastures, Also a Dexter is still big and fast enough to put you or one of your family in the ground. Kind a like a 22 caliber!

 

[sstterry]

One of my pet peeves is that the phrase "Grass-Fed Beef" is very very misleading. All cattle are grass-fed. What you are talking about is "grass-finished". The public gets hoodwinked every day on this. I can sell all I want and say it is "grass-fed" and be totally accurate.

I am not criticizing what you want to do, but I am not sure how happy you will be. But, you do you. And, by the way, corn is a grass.

 

[tex452]

I have a neighbor that uses only grass and organic hay on everything.
They don't deworm because their afraid of killing earth worms.
Their cattle look like crap all year long.
I don't know if I would want to eat one myself.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

One of my pet peeves is that the phrase "Grass-Fed Beef" is very very misleading. All cattle are grass-fed. What you are talking about is "grass-finished". The public gets hoodwinked every day on this. I can sell all I want and say it is "grass-fed" and be totally accurate.

I am not criticizing what you want to do, but I am not sure how happy you will be. But, you do you. And, by the way, corn is a grass.

That is tantamount to saying a tadpole is a frog.

 

[BC]

Here is some information on grass fed and grain fed beef for your reading. Copy and paste link to your browser.

file:///C:/Users/bcumm/Downloads/Final_GRAIN-FINISHED%20BEEF%20VS.%20GRASS-FINISHED%20BEEF5_052919-14.pdf

 

[Nick Wagner]

Thank you for the responses. We want grass-fed for the health benefits, and to eat the beef as God created it. We currently eat and enjoy grass-fed beef, just have never raised our own. To each his own but we're at least going to give the grass-fed route a try.

We're not trying to create a business model or generate any type of profit so much as we're trying to establish something small-scale and sustainable that ourselves and a few other families can invest in and reap the benefits. We chose Dexter because our kids are 6 and 8 and we want them around the cows with as little worry as possible. We've visited a few Dexter farms and found the animals to be docile and manageable. Their smaller size is a benefit since we're only on a few acres, plus they'll be easier on the infrastructure (since pasture boards are $17 each locally now!).

And BC, appreciate the planting advice. I am hoping to seed this fall with winter rye and whatever else our local ag extension suggests for our region. That was the idea though transitioning our steer from grain to alfalfa, in the hopes that the alfalfa pellets would be a good supplement to the bahia pasture their on now.

Thanks again!!

As someone has already said, there is a difference between grass fed and grass finished, putting on enough fat to make your beef tender and tasty. This is easier said than done, which you must be aware of since you are asking for advise. My cows get fat every summer on pasture here in northern Ohio, but what works here is probably different than what will work for you. You need some clover. This webpage has crashed three times while I am trying to type a reply. You can email me at, [email protected]

 

[JeffL916]

One of my pet peeves is that the phrase "Grass-Fed Beef" is very very misleading. All cattle are grass-fed. What you are talking about is "grass-finished". The public gets hoodwinked every day on this. I can sell all I want and say it is "grass-fed" and be totally accurate.

I am not criticizing what you want to do, but I am not sure how happy you will be. But, you do you. And, by the way, corn is a grass.

Grass-fed, grass-finished is what I should've typed. That is the plan. The idea seems to be pretty off-putting to some people, not sure why? The argument can go both ways. Corn IS a grass, but what part is fed to cattle? Are kernels considered grass? Same with wheat, barley, etc..? Once it goes to seed and the seed/grain is fed to cattle, is that still considered a "grass" since it's in the grass family?

I am truly asking, not being argumentative.

Nonetheless, there's been some good suggestions and resources on here. Just what I was hoping for, and much appreciated!

 

[sstterry]

Grass-fed, grass-finished is what I should've typed. That is the plan. The idea seems to be pretty off-putting to some people, not sure why? The argument can go both ways. Corn IS a grass, but what part is fed to cattle? Are kernels considered grass? Same with wheat, barley, etc..? Once it goes to seed and the seed/grain is fed to cattle, is that still considered a "grass" since it's in the grass family?

I am truly asking, not being argumentative.

Nonetheless, there's been some good suggestions and resources on here. Just what I was hoping for, and much appreciated!

Corn is a cereal grass.

It is very hard to get the additional carbohydrates necessary to properly fatten the animal and get the intramuscular fat deposits to create marbling with grass as the only source of food. The fat is what makes it tender and flavorful.

The biggest difference between the two if grass-finished is leaner meat. Here is an article that pretty much explains the difference Is Grass-Fed Beef Healthier than Conventional? — Sacred Cow

It is your animal so you do what you feel is best for you.