Cattle Feed Options
Design the feed program that best suits your needs and desires for quality meat.
Your cattle’s feed matters
One of the things that affect the taste and quality of your meat is the cow’s feed. When your cow eats high quality ingredients, it converts the feed’s protein and nutrients straight to its meat.
Your cow will be grown with a custom meal plan and rations that our nutritionist puts together. The feed cycle will maximize the health of their entire digestive system and give the animal the best foundation to feed the finish that is desired. Our feed programs provide minerals and supplements for all our cows.
Check out the three different feed options below:
Grain Based $
High in starch to create more marbling, creating a fantastic flavor.
Pros
- Highest level of marbling
- Best taste and more flavor
- Higher level of tenderness
- Produces moist and juicy steaks
Cons
- Not as healthy as grass fed beef
- More expensive on feed
GRASS AND GRAIN MIX $$
(Recommended)
Carries all the benefits of health and flavor without the disadvantages of the grain option. Cow is healthier and converts feed more efficiently into your meat’s flavor.
Pros
- Grain marbling with the best balance of fat on the meat
- Juicy and tender meat
- Most economical feed
- Contains as much as 3x omega-3 fatty acids
- No grass-fed (wild or gamey) flavor
- Higher in vitamin A and E and antioxidants
- A well-balanced diet for your animal’s health
Grass-Fed $$$
High protein grasses encourage healthy growth and meat but cows have a higher tendency to develop digestive issues. The cow will consume more feed every day and grow at a slower rate while using more energy to digest.
Pros
- Leaner meat with lower fat content
- Fat on meat is healthier and contains less monounsaturated fat
- Contains as much as 5x omega-3 fatty acids
- Distinct grass-fed (wild or gamey) flavor
- Higher in vitamin A and E and antioxidants
Cons
- More feed intake needed for less meet
- Less marbling
- Dry and sometimes tough meat
- Flavor is not as rich
- Cannot be dry-aged
The Benefits of an Omega-3 Rich Diet
Omega-3s are nutrients that help build and maintain a healthy body. Your body doesn’t make this nutrient, so it’s important that you include it in your diet. Foods rich in Omega-3s can help improve your health in several ways. Eating omega-3s could increase good cholesterol and lower blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. Not only is Omega-3 consumption important for adults, it’s also important for visual and neurological development in infants.
Meat from our cows have significantly higher levels of Omega-3s, and that’s thanks to our superior nutritional feed. Designer Beef cows are fed a custom meal plan that’s formulated by a nutritionist—a practice that sets us apart from other beef ranchers.
The phrase “You are what you eat” is true even for our cows. Cows that eat better food have healthier and tastier meat. That’s why we take the care and time to put together feed that consists of nutritional grains and hay that add Omega-3s to a cow’s diet. Here are a few of those ingredients:
- Bermuda hay- packed with fiber to help a cow ingest food and nutrients in their diet, providing cows with nutritious Omega-3s.
- Alfalfa hay- 23% protein and an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K and C, and other minerals.
- Cottonseed and flaxseed- A unique nutrient feed ingredient that is full of protein, available fat, and effective fiber. This ingredient helps support muscle growth, animal development, digestive health, and inflammation. But most importantly, these supplements help convert the marbling (intramuscular fat) into healthy Omega-3, the same way olive oil or avocados do. This is important for both the cows' health and human health through consumption.
- Other Healthy Grains- Designer Beef uses a proprietary mixture of healthy grains designed by our nutritionist to provide energy and gut health to promote weight gain and growth. They create the best marbling and fat content for consistent taste and a higher yield of meat.
- Supplements- plays a vital role in meat nutrients.
INGREDIENTS IN THE FEED
Cotton Seed:
Cottonseed is a unique nutrient feed ingredient that is full of protein, available fat, and effective fiber--all ingredients that will translate into healthy and nutritious meat.
It contains approximately 20% protein intake which will support muscle growth and animal development. The fat and oils give the cattle energy to grow, helps improve body condition, and helps keep them in optimum condition. The feed will also contribute 33% of their fiber ratio.
Grass Hay:
High-quality hays can have 20% protein, and grass hay is the diet foundation for all grazing animals. It is excellent for mixing with high protein feeds to prevent bloating. Wheat hay, for example, has a sweet taste that cattle love. Other hays that have excellent digestible nutrients are Bermuda rye, Tifton, and fescue grasses.
Alfalfa:
Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of protein and fiber. When compared to other grass hays, alfalfa is higher in protein and minerals and more palatable. It is also high in convertible energy and is an excellent source of vitamins (K and C) and minerals. When feeding a high protein, high calcium, and vitamin diet, it is excellent at balancing feed rations which promotes the best health for your animal.
DDG:
Distillers dried grains (DDG) are the nutrient rich co-product of dry-milled plants. DDG is used as a feed ingredient that is full of energy and is a protein supplement. It is the most effective protein and energy source in today’s market.
Corn:
Corn is high in starch that provides excellent energy and gut health for cattle which gives consistent weight gain and growth. It also creates the best marbling and fat content for a consistent taste and provides a higher yield of meat. The fat on your steak from corn starch is chalk white and visually appealing.
