Beef Cattle Question

[Okrafarmer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the majority of the world's cattle grass (and hay, haylage) fed?

[Ianab]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the majority of the world's cattle grass (and hay, haylage) fed?

I would think you are right.

India, Brazil, Argentina, Australia etc would make up the majority and they would be primarily grass fed. I think the grain thing is more to do with the Nth American climate, shorter growing season. Makes it more practical to grow grain, and store that for the winter when there is no grass.

A climate like NZ you can get by with putting in a bit of hay or silage to get through a couple of winter months when the grass growth slows right up.

Ian

[SwampDonkey]

A lot of folks around here would just go to the spring sale and buy some young steers, a half dozen or so, and just let them free range on the pasture all summer and early fall. Then sell them by the side when it comes butchering time. Many would finish them on corn stalks and or oats or mash. Around here they were fed mostly hay in the barn in winter and fed oats and mash (often with molasses) as a supplement. Now a days with feed lots it's a lot of corn in the diet. I think the younger critters are still fed hay and silage and worked into the corn over time. A corn diet is not natural to a cow. ;) Silage was something new here when big dairies began 30 some years ago. I'm old enough to remember when that was not done here. We can grow good hay on the land here, but a lot of today I see folks just mowing weeds and don't actually put the effort into growing good hay.

[Kansas]

Talked to the friend of mine that retails top of the line corn fed beef. He finally put in some grass fed beef. I told him I wanted to get a steak and try one, see what it was all about. He said he hoped I did. People asked for it; now they aren't buying it. Planning on putting one on the grill this weekend and checking it out.

[SwampDonkey]

Kansas, people don't know what they are eating anyway. They watch a Michael Moore movie and then they start complaining. They aren't about to break the habit of shopping at the supermarket. And they aren't going to make or break anyone's business. I see it here all the time. There is a beef plant in the news out west about contamination. Depending on the swing of the news man everyone is buying local now. What a big fat lie.  :

[Kansas]

Swampdonkey, I would have to agree with you that most people don't know what they are eating. People go to Wally world and think that is the way a steak, or chicken, is supposed to taste. Still remember back in my early days at the feed store when people would order chicks for broilers, then get prepared feed from us. I did the math and asked them, this isn't saving you money. They would just laugh and say, you would have to eat one to know the difference. Then I did. Wow. Night and day difference. If you want quality, you have to pay a little more. Many if not most people shop strictly on price. We all see it in the lumber business. People go in and buy some piece of furniture at a store because of the price. Pressboard, or whatever it is, with a fake veneer on it. Its a small percentage of people that appreciate a quality hand built piece of furniture. Real wood trim and cabinets. And so on. We in the sawmill business understand quality. You can talk to  people till your blue in the face, and most won't change their buying habits. Same with food.