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Mockingbird Bell Farm

Why is the Meat from Grass-fed Animals So Expensive? --1

To most people, it seems that meat from grass-fed animals should cost less than other meat since the grass-based farm doesn’t have the extra expense of grain, antibiotics, confinement buildings and other big facilities of modern beef production. Really?







The True Cost

The price of grass-fed beef, mostly, shows the true cost of raising cattle for food. For the “cheap beef”, there are hidden and lots of unpaid costs involved with the production factory or feedlot meat. The conventional farmers use many tools to take out the cost of beef and poultry production, including performance-enhancing drugs, artificial feeding and ultra-confinement growing conditions. They are very efficient but the consequences fall on the back of consumers and the environment.



For example, the grain-fed cattle can be slaughtered at 16 months and weigh 1300 lbs; while grass-fed cattle are typically slaughtered at 18-23 months and only weigh 1100 lbs. Grass-fed takes longer and weigh less.


The same thing happens to the poultry production. The industrial chickens can be butchered in 5 and ½ weeks and weigh 4-5 lbs. They cost about $1/lb to produce. Pasture-raised chickens are typically butchered at 12 weeks and weigh 3-4 lbs. Production cost for a pasture-raised chicken can be up to $5/lb.


In feedlots, the cattle are fed with cheap GMO grains, along with bakery waste, rejects from candy factory or ethanol plants. Ther are also pumped with growth hormones, appetite-stimulating chemicals and antibiotics. Their manure is no more a valuable, natural fertilizer but a hazardous, toxic waste for the environment.


To Be Continued---



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