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Pretty much all the beef production is done in grazing fields as it is cheaper and less work. It is only the bulk up that is done in feed lots (1-3 months befor
by cfn 4y ago
Pretty much all the beef production is done in grazing fields as it is cheaper and less work. It is only the bulk up that is done in feed lots (1-3 months before going to the abbatoir). There is even pasture finished beef production where cows stay in the fields without feed until the end.
- fredrikholm 4y agoIs there any data on that? I meet quite a bit of animal-activist types (by association) that 'expose' parts of the meat industry by taking jobs and secretly filming (as it's often illegal to do). Most of the extreme horrors they've recorded are in slaughterhouses, but I have vivid memories of seeing cattle confined in small cages which fecal infected infections. Perhaps that's dairy production, as it doesn't affect the outcome (as much)?
- QuarterReptile 4y agoProbably not publicly available data, except in looking at the various flows of cattle. A common one is pasture to weaning, then pasture 'stocking operations, totalling one year, followed by 3 months in feedlot. I suspect you could find cattle that spend as much as 50% of their lives in confined feeding operations, but that's a guess, and obviously I couldn't say how prevalent. The 'animal rights' activists clearly insinuate that feedlots are all there is; that seems never to be the case. The actual fractions are moving targets. Even small direct-to-consumer outfits selling quarters and larger (common in Virginia) tend to finish on grain because it makes the meat more palatable.
- fredrikholm 4y agoThank you for taking the time; I learned some stuff today. Cheers!