Grass fed cattle are considered to be a healthier product than cattle, that have been raised in the feed lot. There are many ways that grass fed cattle can be marketed. The consumer can create a niche for specialty beef that can be sold at a higher price with the proper marketing. One of the items that can be marketed, is that grass fed cattle have up to six times more omega-3 fatty acids than feed lot cattle (Duckett et al. 1993).Also there is more vitamin A found in the range forage cattle than feed lot cattle which will turn the fat yellow. This allows the beef to be marketed as higher in vitamins. One more thing that can be marketed to the consumer is that range fed cattle are going to be free of mad-cow disease. Although there are many benefits of feeding cattle in the feed lot, such as the content of fat that one would have on their cattle. Fat adds flavor and tenderness which most people enjoy when eating beef.

      With the obesity problem in the United States, marketing the leaner, healthier beef products could potentially be beneficial to a ranching operation in many ways. One way ranching operations would benefit is a reduced feed cost with cattle remaining on the range the whole time. Daily supplements, if needed, of protein and TDN (total daily nutrient requirement) would provide the cows with proper nutrition. It would cost more to put cattle in a feed lot for the suggested period time of 90 to 120 days to fatten the cattle up. Research also shows that consumers, who are looking for healthier cattle are willing to pay higher costs for cattle they know have been raised on the range rather than at a feed lot.

If the consumer is willing to pay a higher price for something that costs less, the net profit for the ranching operation will increase dramatically. This will only work if one has the right marketing strategy and is successful at this. One more aspect to this situation is that there could be a under utilization of the resource if one was to put the cows in a just feed lot situation. Not only the private land, but also the public land that is available for grazing would be a under utilization of the resource. Since the land is out there and available for use, it would be a waste not to use it for feed of cattle.

There are many benefits of utilizing both grass feeding and finishing the cattle in a feedlot. Raising cattle this way will give the rancher some growth during use of the range forage which is cheaper, then putting the cattle on a feed lot situation to finish allows the fat content to go up in their body, which is the norm for cattle. When cattle are put on a feed lot, the excess vitamin A is flushed out of the system which turns the fat back to a white color. This could be helpful in selling the cattle due to the fact that most people will see yellow fat and think that the meat is bad. In contrast, if the marketing is done right, yellow fat could be a benefit.

Although the health benefits are there for a range fed cow, a majority of the population will still look for feed lot cattle with a higher fat content. It is more common to find beef from a feed lot on the shelf than cattle raised solely on range forage. This implies that it would be best to do a combination of range forage and feed lot feed. Since the common practice of feed lot cattle is so dominate in the cattle industry, one would have to spend less time on marketing to a special niche.

An important marketing tool that can be used to attract consumers is just the straight up range forage fed cattle are “all natural”. Most of the time, there are no hormones or antibiotics added to the diet due to the fact that the cattle do not come in contact with a contaminated food. If cattle are considered all natural, it can be sold in the health food stores at a higher price, which will give a rancher a bigger profit while cutting down the production costs.            

      Omega 3 has been shown to have benefits in the prevention or treatment of heart disease and stroke and possible autoimmune problems such as lupus, eczema, and rheumatoid arthritis; and a variety of other conditions (Willet 2002, p. 75). There have been findings that range fed cattle have up to six times more omega 3 fatty acids than feed lot cattle.(Ducket et al. 1993) This could be presented to the public to help the increase sale of the healthier, more lean beef.

      In conclusion, there are benefits for both range fed cattle and feed lot cattle. If done properly, the rancher would be able to capitalize on the premium price the consumers are willing to pay to have the range fed beef that is healthier for them. Not only can the rancher capitalize on the premium price but also the lowered cost of production. In contrast though, there is still a lot of people out there that are not concerned about how range fed cattle are healthier than the cattle coming out of the feed lot.

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Works Cited

McCluskey, Jill J., et al. “U.S. Grass-Fed Beef: Marketing Health Benefits.” Journal of food Distribution Research 36(3)     November 2005

Schauer, C.S., et al. “Self-limiting supplements fed to cattle grazing native mixed-grass prairie in the northern Great Plains”  J. Anim. Sci. 82(2004) 298-306

Bastian, Chris T., et al. “Multiple use of public rangeland: Antelope   and stocker cattle in Wyoming” Journal of Range Management      44(4)(1991) 390-394    

Jones, F.M., et al. “Changes in rumen parameters during dietary   transitions in feedlot cattle” Recent Advances in Animal   Nutrition in Australia 15 (2005) 21A 

DelCurto, Timothy, et al. “Management Strategies for Sustainable Beef   Cattle Grazing on Forested Rangelands in the Pacific Northwest”

Rangeland Ecology & Management 58(2) (2005) 119-127