Grass fed cattle operations continue to gain in popularity

American farmers are getting back to their roots when it comes to grass fed beef. In 2000, there were approximately 50 grass fed cattle operations in the U.S. but today there are thousands of such operations and this trend shows no signs of slowing.

Years ago, the agricultural industry popularized cheap and mass-produced cow feed. This feed was thought to increase profits because less space was needed to feed more cattle. It also fattened cattle up faster. For these reasons cheap feed caught on quickly.

Today, cheap feed is no longer in vogue. Instead, when it comes to feeding cattle, consumers are demanding grass fed beef and consider it the most natural and best way to feed cattle. While grass is not expensive and is efficient, more land is required to raise cattle exclusively on grass.

In light of this fact, it isn’t just an either-or scenario when it comes to feeding cattle. In an effort to raise more cattle but not use up too much land, many farmers will start their animals out in the pasture but will later move them to troughs of grain to fatten them up.

In the end, good beef comes from well-fed, healthy cows. If cows instinctively eat a variety of grasses, then why not feed them what is obviously the natural choice. The better intake provides the better outcome. Cows are healthier consuming what they were meant to digest. After all, you want them to gain meat weight, not fat weight.

Round bale feeders use technology to improve on a system that already works. They feed livestock what it naturally consumes in a way that is more beneficial to the animal and the owner. Cows naturally produce methane, but providing them with the proper nutrition keeps this production balanced. A round bale feeder provides cattle with proper feed and increases profit by decreasing cost. You can feed more cattle without land expansion by bringing the pasture to them.

Investing in this simple technology is the way to go. It is lower in cost than other feeding equipment, like grinders, and benefits cattle more than just throwing grasses on the ground for them to forage. The tapered cone design of these feeders is ideal because it eliminates waste of feed, provides a focused eating environment for cattle, and promotes healthy weight gain that surpasses other types of feed.