The difference between grass-fed cattle and grain-fed cattle

The growth of beef cattle begins with cow milk feeding and is fed with pasture after weaning. When the weight of beef cattle reaches a certain weight standard, they will be chosen to continue to feed grass or grain until they reach their expected weight. So, what's the difference between grass-fed cattle and grain-fed cattle?

1. Differences in feeding

Grass-fed cattle: grow mainly in pastoral areas and feed natural fresh forage for a relatively long time until they reach maturity (usually 30-36 months old). Bad weather will move the cattle to the shed and continue to feed the pasture. The amount of fat in its muscle is less, and most of its fat accumulates under the skin, which is easy to remove when eating.

Valley cattle: when the calf eats pasture to a certain weight or age, it will enter the farm to feed grain feed to fattening, so that the cattle will grow to the expected weight as soon as possible. In order to ensure a balanced intake of cattle, cereal feed contains barley, wheat, sorghum, corn, oats and other ingredients. It has a high fat content, and fat is evenly distributed in muscle tissue. This is what we often call marbling or oil flowers. According to the days of feeding grain and the breed of cattle, it can be divided into: grain feeding for 100 days, 120 days and 200 days. The higher the days of grain feeding, the richer the snowflake pattern of beef, and the higher the cost. The expected feeding weight can usually be achieved between the ages of 18 and 24 months.

2. The difference between nutrition and meat quality

Grass-fed beef: the meat is lean and delicate, low in fat and rich in flavor. It requires higher cooking skills than grain-fed beef. In contrast, the mature period of grass-fed cattle is slower than that of grain-fed cattle, so grass-fed beef has more delicious meat, rich muscle fiber, more toughness and chewiness, and higher protein content than grain-fed beef. According to research, eating thinner beef can help lower cholesterol, LDL and VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides. At the same time, it can also help lower blood pressure, help lose weight, improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.

Grain-fed beef: it is more delicious, juicy and smooth than grass-fed beef. Beef fed with grains has a higher fat content to provide a richer taste experience. Grain-fed beef has more cooking methods and shows different tastes.

Therefore, grass-fed beef is higher than grain-fed beef in terms of safety and health.