Grain Fed Rant

[chickened]

Feedlot cattle are put in feedlots at about 12 months or so and then fed or up to 6 months. These cattle are well cared for in most lots and any rancher with experience does not damage his product intentionally and that should just about clear up any rumors on that subject.

The animals that are used for burger and other low quality cuts are usually retired dairy cattle and old beef cows which are not let me repeat that not put in feed lots but are bought, sorted and shipped to slaughter immediately. This propaganda about how bad mass produced beef is for you is BS and those few older practices were anomalies not the status quo. They are rumors used to slam the cheap mass produced beef by the handful of small producers attempting to sell a product for more than the market can support.

 

[Couch Family]

I concur with the Original Poster. However, I have no true solid basis for my opinion, therefore I will state it as such.

With respect to each of the posters within this thread I'd like to request some backup to your claims (on either side of this topic). I know it's easy to shoot from the hip and perhaps if I knew you and your credentials I may be able to go with it a bit. However, this is an Internet forum on a chicken site (of all places) and I can't take much of this at face value. I do, however, have interest on this topic and would enjoy reading something put together that I could consider educational.

Personally, my opinion is simple. I believe that we (in the U.S.) find WAY too many "uses" for grain (namely corn, soy bean, and wheat). I personally believe that this overuse of grain is a bad choice over-all. To put this on point to this topic, it is my understanding that cows tend to eat more grasses and less grain than they do currently. I am under the impression that our fascination of the use of grains comes down to the fact that we have such a huge over-abundance of them. This could be an entire topic (rant) in and of itself.

I recognize that my opinion is not necessarily based on anything of substance. I am completely open to learn something here, if anyone has anything to add constructively.

 

[chickened]

I concur with the Original Poster. However, I have no true solid basis for my opinion, therefore I will state it as such.

With respect to each of the posters within this thread I'd like to request some backup to your claims (on either side of this topic). I know it's easy to shoot from the hip and perhaps if I knew you and your credentials I may be able to go with it a bit. However, this is an Internet forum on a chicken site (of all places) and I can't take much of this at face value. I do, however, have interest on this topic and would enjoy reading something put together that I could consider educational.

Personally, my opinion is simple. I believe that we (in the U.S.) find WAY too many "uses" for grain (namely corn, soy bean, and wheat). I personally believe that this overuse of grain is a bad choice over-all. To put this on point to this topic, it is my understanding that cows tend to eat more grasses and less grain than they do currently. I am under the impression that our fascination of the use of grains comes down to the fact that we have such a huge over-abundance of them. This could be an entire topic (rant) in and of itself.

I recognize that my opinion is not necessarily based on anything of substance. I am completely open to learn something here, if anyone has anything to add constructively.

My real credentials are my tastebuds.

I have eaten grass fed and grain fed and for me it is no doubt grain fed is best for me. I have no problem with anyone eating grass fed beef but as a rule when someone has to profess that a food that is not widely consumed is "good" at every turn in a discussion I tend to think that it helps convince them that it does taste good to justify eating it in lieu of traditional foods, which if they will admit it what they are defending actually is OK but not really the best tasting. IMO

 

[Cold Canadian]

Not questioning what you said ,but years ago the beef in feed lots were injected with a steriod If I recall correctly ? But as was said the producer took good care to get the product out in as good a shape as was possiable .I don't know if they still use growth hormones these days ? I have raised my own and it was as good as grass ( hey ) feed till a few months prior to slaughter when it would be confined to a small area and feed grain for the added marbleing effect as was said . To each there own ? around here it's all grain feed in the stores and grass fed ( hay ) is almost impossiable to find ? Times are a changeing ?

 

[chickened]

Not questioning what you said ,but years ago the beef in feed lots were injected with a steriod If I recall correctly ? But as was said the producer took good care to get the product out in as good a shape as was possiable .I don't know if they still use growth hormones these days ? I have raised my own and it was as good as grass ( hey ) feed till a few months prior to slaughter when it would be confined to a small area and feed grain for the added marbleing effect as was said . To each there own ? around here it's all grain feed in the stores and grass fed ( hay ) is almost impossiable to find ? Times are a changeing ?

It is hard to say what the steroid was used for as they have many uses. Now days with such scrutiny it is pretty hard to put anything bad in beef for human consumption.

 

[cassie]

I concur with the Original Poster. However, I have no true solid basis for my opinion, therefore I will state it as such.

With respect to each of the posters within this thread I'd like to request some backup to your claims (on either side of this topic). I know it's easy to shoot from the hip and perhaps if I knew you and your credentials I may be able to go with it a bit. However, this is an Internet forum on a chicken site (of all places) and I can't take much of this at face value. I do, however, have interest on this topic and would enjoy reading something put together that I could consider educational.

Personally, my opinion is simple. I believe that we (in the U.S.) find WAY too many "uses" for grain (namely corn, soy bean, and wheat). I personally believe that this overuse of grain is a bad choice over-all. To put this on point to this topic, it is my understanding that cows tend to eat more grasses and less grain than they do currently. I am under the impression that our fascination of the use of grains comes down to the fact that we have such a huge over-abundance of them. This could be an entire topic (rant) in and of itself.

I recognize that my opinion is not necessarily based on anything of substance. I am completely open to learn something here, if anyone has anything to add constructively.

It may, or may not, interest you to know that feedlots to fatten beef cattle for slaughter were around LOOONG before ConAgra or any of the other big ag companies were in existence or even thought of. In fact, in the fifties and before, the beef cattle were much fatter than they are today. It was in the sixties where the move came to produce a beef carcass with more muscling and less fat. This change was due to genetics, not feeding. If you get some pictures to campare, the beef steer of the fifties and before was much shorter in height, length of leg, and length of body than the beef steer of today. Modern beef cattle are much taller, longer, more muscular, and go to slaughter with far less fat covering than the cattle of 50 years ago.

 

[Cold Canadian]

THIS may be of additional interest regarding FEEDS.....

About 30 years ago, I got to know a fella, a scientist, who had worked for COORS Brewing in Colorado...where I lived at that time.

He had quit COORS because he felt he had not "been-given-credit" for a multi-million dollar idea. And he seriously resented that.

His idea ?

To use the "waste-products" from beer-making as a nutritional supplement for Farm Animals....particularly BEEF at Monfort's Feed Lots in Greeley, Colorado.

I think it is a GOOD IDEA....but....NO DOUBT....some prohibitionist "Preacher" will raise HADES when they learn about THAT !!!

Ha-Ha !!!
Bruce Sartist

I'm totally for useing the "" waste "" from brewing industries to feed cattle etc .I know of a dairy farm that imports the corn used in a brewing company as a feed suppliment to feed there dairy herd ,plus there fowl as well .It has a lot of protein in it and why not ? I'd buy it if I could .

 

[herfrds]

Some people who castrate the bulls do put an implant of horomones in their ear. Some like us do not. I know some that leave them as bulls and castrate them 2-3 months before shipping them.
It just depends upon the rancher.

God did Bless me frucat thanks anyway.

 

[Frucat]

The podcaster at this site http://sshomestead.com runs a brewery and feeds the bi-products to his animals, particularly his pigs. They seem to thrive on it.

As an aside, it seems that once you're over 1,400 posts on this site you are entitled to act crassly and engage in snotty attacks on people, not ideas or even the thread's subject. Rather than subject the rest of the participants to this petty back-and-forth, herfrds, why don't you private message me and leave the thread to actual discussion. And for the rest of you who have gotten this far in my post, I'm sorry, and this is the last time I'll acknowledge this particular user.

 

[hemet dennis]

I have had both and I like grain fed beef more. I do think if there was a huge demand for grass fed beef then it would be in the market place.