Standard Beef Requirements
This is a reference list of requirements for producers interested in growing finished beef for Marksbury Farm Market.
Production Requirements:
No Antibiotics
No Hormones
No Steroids
No ionophores (common in anti-bloat supplements)
No organophosphates (common in parasite control)
No Grain (grain producing grasses and plants are allowed (green-chop hay, wheatlage, etc) so long as grain isn’t present
Constant access to pasture during the growing season, and hay, haylage, or stockpiled grass during the non-growing season.
All vegetarian diet
Never sold through a stockyards auction
Birth farm and all subsequent farms with contact must be known
All requirements must be verifiable back to birth
Genetic Guidelines: In General there is more variability between individuals than between breeds. The best guide on genetics is the performance of your cattles’ close relatives. However with the wide range of breeds available a few words should be shared. Cattle should be from easy fleshing moderate to small frame cattle. There are a wide range of acceptable phenotypes including most individuals from the following popular breeds.
Angus (black or red)
Hereford
Shorthorn
Devon
Individuals from other popular breeds such as Charolaise, Gelbvieh and Simmental with bigger frames can be very good when mixed with genetics from the previous list or fed on high quality forage. We can also use easy fleshing more exotic breeds such as Belted Galloway, Highland Cattle, South Poll, Murray Grey, Dexter, Wagyu and others with allowances made for likely smaller finishing size. Breeds that are not conducive to high yielding, well-marbled, pasture finished beef and should not exceed 25% of a calf’s bloodline include: all dairy breeds, all Bos Indicus (Brahman, etc) Limousin, and Longhorn.
Performance guidelines: Producing grass fed beef is not simple. Managing growing cattle’s nutritional needs requires advance planning and skillful execution. Performance and profitability will improve the faster the cattle can be made to gain weight.
For reference, consider the following example of an Angus steer with a 1200 pound mother, and whose weaning weight at 7 months was 500 lbs.
He should finish no later than 24 months old
At finishing the base of the tail will be level with or below his back.