In order to achieve maximum weight gain in the shortest time possible with minimal cost, most factories resolve to an intensive cattle production method where thousands of cattle are confined in dirt feedlots and the main feeding diet is grain-based with hormones to contribute to faster growth rate. This method however raises a number of concerns including increased greenhouse gas emissions and unhealthy meat products. This has largely contributed to increased demand of products from grass-fed beef farms.
There are several disorders that can be associated to animal stress with the common one being subacute acidosis. The normal diet for cattle is pasture but in feedlots they are fed on grains. Animal stress is particularly caused by the change of diet from pasture to grain. In order to deal with these disorders, animals are normally given antibiotics and chemical additives resulting to meat full of chemicals. Overuse of medication is likely to result to new strains of bacteria. When these new strains of bacteria affect human, the medicine for treatment can be difficult to find.
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.
In order to achieve maximum weight with grass, the farmers need skills that cut across scientific knowledge and acquired art. The target is to raise healthy grass for animal to graze on particularly in months preceding slaughtering time. In order to grow such high quality grass and legumes, there must be proper land management practices and healthy soils. This is in addition to skillful pasture management that targets to utilize pasture when at the optimal growth stage.
Most feed used for faster fattening in factory farms are unnatural and the major ingredients are genetically modified grains. In some cases, by products may also be used as feed all contribution to unhealthy beef full of hormones blamed for uncontrolled growth.
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.
As already said, feedlots cattle are responsible for the highest percentages of E. Coli and Listeria, both which are bacterial diseases that are less noticed in grass fed beef cattle. Campylobacter bacterial is also most likely to be present in feedlot (58%) than pasture fed cattle with only 2%. This bacterial is known symptoms such as muscle pain, upset stomach, fever and headache.
According to the standards of Animal Welfare Approved husbandry practices, cattle must be raised as humanely as possible with natural living habitat so as to obtain safer meat for the consumers. This is well observed in grass farms for cattle feeding.
There are several disorders that can be associated to animal stress with the common one being subacute acidosis. The normal diet for cattle is pasture but in feedlots they are fed on grains. Animal stress is particularly caused by the change of diet from pasture to grain. In order to deal with these disorders, animals are normally given antibiotics and chemical additives resulting to meat full of chemicals. Overuse of medication is likely to result to new strains of bacteria. When these new strains of bacteria affect human, the medicine for treatment can be difficult to find.
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.
In order to achieve maximum weight with grass, the farmers need skills that cut across scientific knowledge and acquired art. The target is to raise healthy grass for animal to graze on particularly in months preceding slaughtering time. In order to grow such high quality grass and legumes, there must be proper land management practices and healthy soils. This is in addition to skillful pasture management that targets to utilize pasture when at the optimal growth stage.
Most feed used for faster fattening in factory farms are unnatural and the major ingredients are genetically modified grains. In some cases, by products may also be used as feed all contribution to unhealthy beef full of hormones blamed for uncontrolled growth.
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.
As already said, feedlots cattle are responsible for the highest percentages of E. Coli and Listeria, both which are bacterial diseases that are less noticed in grass fed beef cattle. Campylobacter bacterial is also most likely to be present in feedlot (58%) than pasture fed cattle with only 2%. This bacterial is known symptoms such as muscle pain, upset stomach, fever and headache.
According to the standards of Animal Welfare Approved husbandry practices, cattle must be raised as humanely as possible with natural living habitat so as to obtain safer meat for the consumers. This is well observed in grass farms for cattle feeding.
