How much more do grass finished cattle bring than grain fed?
Current prices are at least 20% higher for non-organic grass finished and considerably more than this for organic grass finished. Direct cash gain costs for grass finishing are approximately half those of grain feeding. Can dairy cows be 100% grass fed? Yes, but this typically requires a non-Holstein breed and sesonal breeding. Dual-purpose breeds such as the Milking Shorthorn, Milking Red Devon and the French dairy breeds are growing in popularity for this 100% grass feeding. The male calves from these breeds finish well on grass and are very tender. In addition, pigs and poultry can get a significant amount of their nutrition from leguminous pasture. All of these species are covered in The Stockman GrassFarmer. Why is initial pasture subdivision so important? A grass plant’s roots grow as deep as the grass grows high. If a grass plant is constantly subjected to close, continuous grazing it cannot develop the root mass needed to become a healthy, drought resistant grass plant. In high
