Grain-Fed vs Grass-fed

The Grain-fed vs Grass-fed is always an age-old debate about which is best for us, which is the best quality and which has the best flavour. For most people, it’s personal taste and for others, they simply don’t know the difference.

Here are the facts:

Grass-fed

Grass-fed Beef is beef which has spent its life grazing on pastures and crops. It is seen as the natural way to feed your cattle. This doesn’t mean at some stage that the cattle haven’t been supplementary fed though.

Due to seasonal conditions sometimes farmers need to supplement the cattle’s diet with a range of feedstock such as hay or silage. Due to these seasonal changes, there can be inconsistency in the quality, tenderness and flavour of grass-fed beef. This will mostly occur when we haven’t had enough run or an extended winter. Although, this is often not passed onto the consumer as the farmers are very good at grading their stock.

Grass-fed beef has more flavour than grain-fed. The meat takes on the flavour of the grass that it has been grazing on. As they say, you are what you eat! Grass-fed beef is NOT finished on grain. It spends its entire life in a grass-fed system.

Grass-fed beef can also be classed as Free-Range as it is not confined and rationed its food. Although most producers are not certified, due to the sheer cost, and therefore do not label their product accordingly.

Grain-fed

For Grain-fed beef to be classed as grain-fed it must have been finished in an accredited feedlot for a minimum of 60 days. These animals actually spend the majority of their lives in the Grass-fed system before they are finished off in a feedlot on a grain-based ration.

Grain-fed Beef is a more consistent product than Grass-fed because seasonal conditions don’t affect the quality of the grain which they are provided.

Grain-fed Beef contains a great deal more marbling. In saying this it does not have the flavour that Grass-fed beef has. Once again, you are what you eat!

Here at Deagon Bulk Meats, we stock both Grass and Grain-fed products to suit customer demand. The majority of our selections are Grass-fed unless marked otherwise. Produce stocked in our display cabinet is all Grass-fed excluding our ‘butchers choice’ range which is finished on grain.

If you’re unsure just ask! We are more than happy to help!