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 major attribute that attracts most consumers to beef products from cattle that are raised in grass farms is their nutritional value. The meat has lower levels of saturated fats and total fats in general. The cholesterol level and calories are also lower in quantities. Of major importance however are higher quantities of vitamin C and vitamin E that are recorded in meat products. Other beneficial attributes include higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene among several other nutrients.
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.
The issue of stress is also a major concern as it affects the final product that ends up on the table. Stress develops when several animals are confined in dirty feedlots where movement is restricted. The major factor that causes stress is the sudden change from normal diet of pasture to grains and other unnatural diet designed for faster weight gain.
Raring of animals in restricted and confined factory farms is also considered to be environmentally insensitive. In majority of cases, manure dumping is not done properly leading to very high concentration of nutrients in nearby soils. This can be the cause of soil and water pollution. This is not a concern when cattle are raised on pasture as the manure is evenly spread all over wide land as is able to work as organic fertilizer.
The other issue is environmental degradation that is common with factory way of fattening cattle. Other than increased greenhouse gas emission, this method is responsible to high level of manure concentration over a very small portion of land. This has effect of increasing nutrients to the extent that the surrounding land and water is polluted.
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 major attribute that attracts most consumers to beef products from cattle that are raised in grass farms is their nutritional value. The meat has lower levels of saturated fats and total fats in general. The cholesterol level and calories are also lower in quantities. Of major importance however are higher quantities of vitamin C and vitamin E that are recorded in meat products. Other beneficial attributes include higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene among several other nutrients.
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.
The issue of stress is also a major concern as it affects the final product that ends up on the table. Stress develops when several animals are confined in dirty feedlots where movement is restricted. The major factor that causes stress is the sudden change from normal diet of pasture to grains and other unnatural diet designed for faster weight gain.
Raring of animals in restricted and confined factory farms is also considered to be environmentally insensitive. In majority of cases, manure dumping is not done properly leading to very high concentration of nutrients in nearby soils. This can be the cause of soil and water pollution. This is not a concern when cattle are raised on pasture as the manure is evenly spread all over wide land as is able to work as organic fertilizer.
The other issue is environmental degradation that is common with factory way of fattening cattle. Other than increased greenhouse gas emission, this method is responsible to high level of manure concentration over a very small portion of land. This has effect of increasing nutrients to the extent that the surrounding land and water is polluted.
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.
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