Cattle feeding

Different cattle feeding production systems have separate advantages and disadvantages. Most cattle in the US have a diet that is composed of at least some forage (grass, legumes, or silage). In fact, most beef cattle are raised on pasture from birth in the spring until autumn (7 to 9 months). Then for pasture-fed animals, grass is the forage that composes all or at least the great majority of their diet. Cattle fattened in feedlots are fed small amounts of hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredients in order to increase the energy density of the diet. The debate is whether cattle should be raised on diets primarily composed of pasture (grass) or a concentrated diet of grain, soy, corn and other supplements. The issue is often complicated by the political interests and confusion between labels such as 'free range', 'organic', or 'natural'. Cattle raised on a primarily forage diet are termed grass-fed or pasture-raised; for example meat or milk may be called grass-fed beef or pasture-raised dairy. However, the term 'pasture-raised' can lead to confusion with the term 'free range', which does not describe exactly what the animals eat. Animals grazing in rangelands, pastures, and grasslands and with little or no integration of crops involved. About 60% of the world's pasture land is covered by grazing systems. According to Food and Agriculture Organization statistics, ″Grazing systems supply about 9 percent of the world's production of beef and about 30 percent of the world's production of sheep and goat meat. For an estimated 100 million people in arid areas, and probably a similar number in other zones, grazing livestock is the only possible source of livelihood.″ Animal productions are integrated with crop productions. Moreover, livestock such as cattle are primarily fed on pastures, crop residues, and fallows. An integrated farming system aims to achieve acceptable profits and high and sustained production levels. Mixed farming systems are the largest category of livestock system in the world. Animals are fed in landless environments such as in stalls, pens, and feedlots in very high stocking densities. Intensive or industrial factory farming of animals originated in the United States in the late 1930s. This has resulted in an integrated model of production, where large corporations control most aspects of animal husbandry in the food industry, processing of animals into food products, and sales to the consumer market. Industrial productions systems differ from grazing systems and integrated livestock-crop farming systems by their inclusions of various substances such as veterinary drugs, growth hormones, feed additives, or nutraceuticals to improve livestock production effectiveness. Grass and other forage compose most or the majority of a grass-fed diet. There is debate as to whether cattle should be raised on diets primarily composed of pasture (grass) or a concentrated diet of grain, soy, and other supplements. The issue is often complicated by the political interests and confusion between labels such as 'free range,' 'organic', and 'natural.' Cattle raised on a primarily forage diet are termed grass-fed or pasture-raised; meat or milk may be called grass-fed beef or pasture-raised dairy. However, the term 'pasture-raised' can lead to confusion with the term 'free range' which does not describe exactly what the animals eat. Thus, cattle can be labelled free range but not necessarily grass-fed. Another term is 'grass-finished', for which cattle are generally held to a higher standard in terms of tenderness and marbling. However, the label generally has no strict regulations. The Agricultural Marketing Service of the United States Department of Agriculture previously had a standard for 'Grass Fed' meat, but withdrew the standard in 2016. However, producers must still apply the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service before putting 'grass fed' on a label. Cattle called 'corn-fed', 'grain-fed', or 'corn-finished' are typically fattened on maize, soy, and other types of feed for several months before slaughter. As a high-starch, high-energy food, corn decreases the time to fatten cattle and increases carcass yield. Some corn-fed cattle are fattened in concentrated animal feeding operations known as feed lots. In the United States, most grass-fed cattle are raised for beef production. Dairy cattle may be supplemented with grain to increase the efficiency of production and reduce the area needed to support the energy requirements of the herd.