The Role Of Ranching In The Cattle Industry

The cattle industry is facing more problems daily and while the price of beef is always changing, the price of raising beef is not. The love for ranching and animals runs deep in the owners themselves. Ranching is an amazing way of life, but can be very hard and frustrating. With animal rights advocates becoming more ignorant to the logic behind modern methods and their mental image more distorted, it does not make ranchers lives any easier. Feedlots are results of the industrialization and scientific progression America has made; they are key components in meeting the demands of America’s beef. The largest problem producers are facing in the cattle industry is meeting the global demands for quality beef; therefore it is imperative that
feedlots remain efficient, safe for the environment, and produce high quality beef. Feedlots have become more efficient in the recent years because higher and quicker returns are very important in the cattle industry. Bravodeluxe explained in his article, The History of Beef: In the 19th century, cattle were primarily raised in the west where traditional food crops were harder to cultivate. The cattle grazed on native grasses and were moved, in cattle drives, to feedlots where they were fattened up. They were transported by train to the mid- west where they were slaughtered and shipped via refrigerator cars to the east where the majority of the population was. Chicago was the main focus point for the trains and therefore for the stockyards and slaughterhouses (Bravodeluxe).
The world’s growing population requires more and more beef over time, yet while cattle numbers have decreased recently; citizens are eating the same or more beef each year.
This shows that producers are feeding more people with fewer head of cattle. Ranchers and feedlots have worked hard to raise more efficient cattle that reach the peak slaughtering time approximately three months faster. Jude L. Capper, an animal scientist explained the progression ranchers have made, “American beef producers have continually improved how they breed, feed and care for cattle while maintaining the high safety, quality and taste standards for which U.S. beef is renowned” (Capper). Ryan Andrews, a vegan, nutritionist, bodybuilder, and animal activist, visited Magnum Feedlot in Wiggins, Colorado. Andrews discussed the feedlot’s emphasis on efficiency in Cattle feedlot: Behind the Scenes, “Of course, the goal at Magnum is to feed cattle efficiently. They want the biggest weight gain for the fewest pounds of feed, in the most economical way. And, at Magnum, they do a good job of efficiency” (Andrews). Feedlots use different feed rations for the different stages that the cattle are in. For instance, a calf that has been weaned for sixty days does not need as much protein as a fifteen-month-old steer. Feed rations are not one-size fits all, similar to humans; cattle do not all eat the same. Properly balancing rations and feeding cattle to meet their specific nutritional needs helps determine
the price of the final product that consumers buy. Feedlots may have some issues that need to be researched and improved upon, but alternative methods would have serious issues as well. The most popular alternative that people recommend is grass-fed beef. Some may debate that grass-fed cattle would be better for the environment, more humane for the cattle, and healthier for the consumer. Feedlots do affect the environment in a negative way to some degree, but for everything beneficial, something must suffer. If the industry standard was to only grass-feed cattle, that situation would be detrimental to the land because it would require every blade of grass the world has to fatten enough cattle to feed America. In reality, it may be impossible to feed the world by only grass- feeding. Andrews discussed the issue of grass-feeding cattle by saying, “It’s also important to know that if we continue to eat 200+ pounds of meat per person per year in the U.S., grass-fed isn’t really an option. There’s not enough land.” Many people are completely against grain-fed beef, although they have no understanding that grain is simply a supplement to the cattle’s high forage diet. Jude L. Capper, an animal scientist, shared with us in Is Feedlot Beef Bad for the Environment? :
Feedlot cattle spend 70% to 80% of their lives on pasture, and only the last four or five months in a feedlot, where they eat grains, legumes, forage and byproducts from human feed and fiber production. The healthy, well-cared-for cattle I have seen in feedlots from the U.S. and Europe to Australia and South Africa don’t fit the “factory farm” label. A feedlot is not utopia, but neither is a grass pasture in the midst of a six-month drought (Capper). Grass-fed beef has shown some health benefits. Ken Kailing, a grass-fed advocate, explained the nutrients received in Grass-Fed vs. Feedlot Beef, “According to a study published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2009, eating grass-fed beef provides these benefits and more: higher in vitamin E and vitamin A, higher in beta-carotene, higher in total omega 3’s, omega 6’s, and other benefits.” These are important to our overall health as individuals. Consumers need to realize that those vitamins could be received through supplements and other forms of food. The article 7 Reasons Grass-fed Benefits are Overhyped, written by Maria who is a health and nutrition specialist, explains:
Several sources have highlighted that grass-fed beef could be beneficial in having more Vitamin A & E than grain-fed beef. Actually, neither beef provides Vitamin A. Grass-fed beef provides only .02 mg more of Vitamin E per serving than grain-fed beef, so if you’re concerned about your vitamin intake, you will be much better off looking towards carrots, almonds, and fortified products. (Maria) Feedlot cattle are monitored carefully and live in safe conditions; they are tracked with identification systems to make sure the cattle are eating enough and not having any decrease in appetite. Andrews discusses this as well, “This tracking allows farmers to know a host of things like: the length of time the cattle have been there, their health history, their previous feed, their current feed needs, their current health, and any notable health or welfare concerns” (Andrews).
Trends do not show that Americans are going to slow down on their consumption of beef anytime soon, therefore feedlots must continue producing beef using the same methods.
Feedlots are necessary in the cattle industry if producers are going to give consumers safe, reasonably priced, tasty beef. While feedlots may have a few problems that need worked on, the other realistic options do not make sense and have major problems in themselves. When feedlots are properly managed, technology allows beef producers to make leaps and bounds in every area of the industry, and these improvements will only become more beneficial as time goes on. By utilizing modern feedlot practices, producers can maximize the resources of America, and provide the world with the healthiest beef
possible.