Grass Fed Basics

In Spring, as soon as weather and grass conditions permit, we move the cattle out onto the early growth pastures which we divide into smaller paddocks using electric fence. These paddocks are sized to provide the animals with 2 or 3 days feed. Once the available grass has been grazed down to a certain level, the animals are moved on to the next paddock and the area just grazed is left to recover.

Once or twice a day, when ever they feel like it, the cattle come down to the barn (which is centrally located to all the pastures via alleyways) for fresh water, free choice minerals and salt. Animals are a lot smarter than we are when it comes to regulating their diet. By providing them with a selection of 7 different minerals, vitamins and Ph balancers, they can adjust their own intake according to different pasture and grass conditions.

Depending on the rainfall (it's dry in this part of Colorado) pastures may be grazed a second time later in the year, or allowed to recover until the following year. This process is repeated as we move the animals across the ranch through the Summer and into the Fall.

In the Fall, when the first frosts come and throughout the Winter, the animals are moved to areas of the ranch we are trying to improve, where they are fed locally grown and harvested hay and alfalfa. Herding activity in the field breaks up the soil cap, the manure nourishes the soil and the un-eaten hay provides ground cover and biomass to help retain moisture from melting snow and seasonal rain.

When the spring thaw comes, the cycle repeats.