Where does most of the meat we see in the store come from?

The one topic we will not be very knowledgable about is where you go to buy a cow.  The opportunity to buy a cow simply fell into our lap.  I would love to learn more from others who have experience in this area.  Our education actually began when we started speaking with the rancher who owned the cow and then the company who would handle euthanizing the cow and then preparing the cuts.

First, where does most of the meat we see in the store come from?




I would expect, as with any set of facts and figures, for different groups to skew statistics to persuade their point of view.  Both highlight particular facts and generally we get a truer picture when we consider as many sources as possible.

The folks at animalrights.about.com report:

Cattle in the U.S. start life on a pasture, nursing from their mothers and eating grass. When the calves are about 12-18 months old, they are transferred to a feedlot where they eat mostly grain.

...97% of the beef produced in the U.S. is grain-fed feedlot beef, while the other 3% is grass-fed.

We see from www.explorebeef.org:

Most beef cattle spend approximately four to six months in a feedlot just prior to harvest where they are fed a grain-based diet. At the feedlot (also called feedyard), cattle are grouped into pens that provide space for socializing and exercise. They receive feed rations that are balanced by a professional nutritionist. Feedlots employ a consulting veterinarian, and employees monitor the cattle’s health and well-being daily. Feedlots are efficient and provide consistent, wholesome and affordable beef using fewer resources. The time cattle spend in a feedlot is often called the "finishing phase."

Some producers choose to finish cattle on grass pasture. The beef derived from these animals is "grass-finished" (sometimes called "grass fed"). This is a significantly smaller segment of modern beef production because it requires unique climate conditions, and it takes the cattle longer to reach market weight. All cattle—whether they are grass-finished or finished in a feedlot—spend the majority of their lives grazing on grass pasture.

Regardless of attitudes and opinions, the fact remains that most beef cattle do spend time in a feed lot eating different foods and quantities than they would naturally in wide, open fields.

As to the health implications, I adhere to a motto of natural always being better.  If cows eat grass normally and not be stuffed on a regimen of grains so we can enjoy more affordable, larger cuts of beef, then perhaps I simply eat less beef (so I can afford it) and when I do eat beef, I enjoy it knowing that I'm not pumping my body full of hormones.



Additional resources:

• http://farmingamerica.org/2013/04/18/wheres-the-beef-or-where-does-beef-come-from/
• http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/grass-fed-vs-feedlot-beef-difference.html
• http://thecattlecall.wordpress.com/