Beef’s carbon footprint gets trimmed in video, webinar

What weight is considered harvest weight?
I harvest my grass fed beef at 12 months (365 days). At 606 days, my grass fed beef would be far too large to harvest.
FYI, I only have 50 registered black angus head on 100 acres of grass and I do finish on rye and clover for 4 months in 2 acre paddocks. They add weight very quickly and finish out at approximately 600# (hanging weight). I never feed hay or any grain, only 100% standing grass. I am assuming that my calves weight is close to the same as the large operations being finished on grain. My operation is in East Texas, so I am able to feed grass year round. I have never purchased grain, including during the 2011 drought.
Again, please reply with the finished weight you describe above at 606 days on grass and 420 days on grain.

Not only would I like to see the finished weights listed also, as well as more information about the research- did they take into account the carbon footprint of the grain production, or its impact on the environment? Too many of these types of studies don't actually see the whole picture- they just try to prove a point.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/sj_ls712.txt

Looking at that report you will see a line titled "Average Weights"
The average dressed steer weight for last week was 783 lbs.

This is probably trending a little higher than when the research was conducted, but dressed beef weights don't change very quickly or drastically.

Bill Akins,

I am truly impressed with the growth rate of your cattle. Your cattle gain weight at an unbelievable rate. Especially considering that for eight months of the year, they are grazing grass at a stocking density of 2 acres per animal with no supplemental feed. Very impressive, I'd have to see it to believe it.

Michelle- Yes, grain production (including fertilizer use) and transport was accounted for, as well as cattle transport between sectors. It's always difficult to get all the details into a short interview.

Bill- Hot carcass weight for conventional steers was 800 lb vs. 615 lb for grass-fed. Those are growth rates predicted by AMTS for feedlot finishing vs. average pasture quality - you're obviously doing an amazing job in your system! Systems do vary widely - 606 days is just over 20 months and that's below the lowest slaughter age (22-30 months with some cattle not finishing at all) achieved by Joel Salatin at Polyface Farm in VA, who's often considered to be a grass-fed "guru".

Joel Salatin is the most well known grass-fed producer, but is not known for finishing beef in under 20 months on pasture, because he prefers a no-input, no-hay system. His cattle are literally grazing year round, even in winter, through the snow, unless the snow is too deep. High rates of gain are not his goal.

Yes, cattle can be grass-finished on pasture in under 20 months without that much difficulty. We have been doing it on our farm for 10 years now. Use good genetics, low-stress handling, proper management, and you can finish cattle in as little as 16 months on pasture, with hay/baleage during the winter months.

We aim to have our cattle hit choice, with low choice being the minimum. We are doing it on land that nobody else in the neighborhood thought was worth renting, as it was too poor, and too wet, to grow corn silage. So, I am producing meat on land that was almost entirely unproductive 10 years ago--the last farmer who ran it went bankrupt trying to crop it, and had to sell it at auction.

There are many other grass-fed producers doing what I am doing and some doing it much better.

Try getting out of the office some time and see some real farms.

In what journals is this study published and what are the peer reviews of this research?

It's not research and it wasn't published. It's just somebody with a PHD, sitting behind a desk crunching numbers based on guesstimates, and getting lots of press from it, because of her status.

Matt,

If Bill, and let me say that i don't know if he is or isn't, but if Bill is got his pasture planted in Tifton 85 Bermuda grass and fertilizing with poultry litter than what he is saying is probably correct. I have poultry houses and am working on getting my pasture established in Tifton 85 for that very reason. You can do so much more with less ground.

You are more than welcome to view my cattle and my acreage. All calves have the birth date on the ear tag. My operation is 100% organic. I have never purchased hay or grain. I went thru the 2011 drought without purchasing hay. My cattle did lose some weight but they were overweight earlier in the year and probably went from an 8 to a 5 or 6. However, I did sell all non producing heifers last year. I do fertilize with organic fertilizer. I do not use artificial fertilizers, nor herbicides, pesticides, nor growth hormones and never supplement feed other than minerals. I do have very good rye and clover pastures in the winter which contributes a lot of weight gain. As noted before, all cattle are from registered angus, which are bred for weight gain and heavy milk production.

Bill,
I am really interested in learning more about your operation. I am a cow-calf producer in Smith County and I would like to move toward a grass fed operation but I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. I would really like to see your operation and learn more about the grass fed approach. Please send me an email if it would be convenient to visit you.
Thanks,
Jim Guthrie