Grass-fed beef farms are increasing by day and the total land mass being converted to this form of farming too is increasing very quickly, and this has to do with increasing consumer awareness and environmental concerns related to industrial agriculture that has been attacked for focusing too much on profitability disregarding potential nutritional value that is lost in the process. Feeding cattle on grass however comes with many benefits some of which are discussed in this article.
In farms where cattle are raised on grass, the animals are allowed to forage over a large land mass with well-maintained pasture. The effect is that animals are able to leave their life in the most natural manner. Eating grains as the main diet as opposed to grass completely alters the natural behavior of these animals. The process of gaining weight with grass as the main food is a challenge.
The most important benefit of pasture fed cattle is the nutritional value associated with the resulting beef. The commonly sighted nutrition benefits include less saturated fat and total fat in general, less calories and less cholesterol. Vitamin C and vitamin E content is also higher. The same can be said of beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acid and many other health promoting fats.
It cannot escape the eye of consumers that in feedlots, the animals are fed with supplements and hormones to promote faster growth. These are substances that are not completely safe for the consumer as they can have similar effects when they get into the body when still active.
Normally, raising thousands of cattle in feedlots where they are confined in concentrations and are shifted from natural grass diet to grains can results to stress. This stress can be the cause of a number of disorders including subacute acidosis that is very common and painful. In order to manage these conditions, cattle are given antibiotics and other chemical additives some of which are used by humans as medicines. When overused in feedlots, bacteria develop resistance and when these new strains of resistant bacteria infect humans, the medical options are few.
The statistics on the other hands tends to support farms feeding cattle on grass. The studies put the highest percentages of discovered cases of E. Coli and Listeria bacteria at about 58% in feedlots meat products with only 2% found on meat from cattle raised in open pasture. Other common bacterial diseases that is likely to be found in feedlot cattle products is campylobacter. These are serious infections that have led to recalls making headlines on newspapers.
Several studies carried out casts dark cloud on factory farming. The majority of cases of E. Coli and Listeria are observed in meat products from cattle raised in feedlots with reported cases of up to 58% of total beef while only 2% of meat from pasture fed cattle has been reported to have the bacteria that have led to recalls hitting headlines.
The scientific research also concludes that allowing animals to forage over a vast piece of land is an environmentally friendly way of keeping cattle. It preserves soils and results to lower greenhouse gas emissions. It is also humane to animals and is recommended by the Animal Welfare Approved standards of animal husbandry practices.
In farms where cattle are raised on grass, the animals are allowed to forage over a large land mass with well-maintained pasture. The effect is that animals are able to leave their life in the most natural manner. Eating grains as the main diet as opposed to grass completely alters the natural behavior of these animals. The process of gaining weight with grass as the main food is a challenge.
The most important benefit of pasture fed cattle is the nutritional value associated with the resulting beef. The commonly sighted nutrition benefits include less saturated fat and total fat in general, less calories and less cholesterol. Vitamin C and vitamin E content is also higher. The same can be said of beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acid and many other health promoting fats.
It cannot escape the eye of consumers that in feedlots, the animals are fed with supplements and hormones to promote faster growth. These are substances that are not completely safe for the consumer as they can have similar effects when they get into the body when still active.
Normally, raising thousands of cattle in feedlots where they are confined in concentrations and are shifted from natural grass diet to grains can results to stress. This stress can be the cause of a number of disorders including subacute acidosis that is very common and painful. In order to manage these conditions, cattle are given antibiotics and other chemical additives some of which are used by humans as medicines. When overused in feedlots, bacteria develop resistance and when these new strains of resistant bacteria infect humans, the medical options are few.
The statistics on the other hands tends to support farms feeding cattle on grass. The studies put the highest percentages of discovered cases of E. Coli and Listeria bacteria at about 58% in feedlots meat products with only 2% found on meat from cattle raised in open pasture. Other common bacterial diseases that is likely to be found in feedlot cattle products is campylobacter. These are serious infections that have led to recalls making headlines on newspapers.
Several studies carried out casts dark cloud on factory farming. The majority of cases of E. Coli and Listeria are observed in meat products from cattle raised in feedlots with reported cases of up to 58% of total beef while only 2% of meat from pasture fed cattle has been reported to have the bacteria that have led to recalls hitting headlines.
The scientific research also concludes that allowing animals to forage over a vast piece of land is an environmentally friendly way of keeping cattle. It preserves soils and results to lower greenhouse gas emissions. It is also humane to animals and is recommended by the Animal Welfare Approved standards of animal husbandry practices.
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