Grass-Fed, Grain-Finished: What It Means and Why It Matters

Most beef falls into two categories: 100% grass-fed or feedlot grain-fed. We do something in between. Our cattle spend their lives on pasture eating grass, then receive grain finishing with whole ingredients before processing.

This isn't a compromise. It's deliberate. Here's why we raise cattle this way and what it means for the beef you're buying.

What Grass-Fed, Grain-Finished Actually Means

All cattle start on grass. Even feedlot cattle graze for the first several months of life. The difference is what happens after that.

Feedlot cattle move to confined feeding operations where they eat grain-based diets (often including growth promoters and antibiotics) for 4-6 months to pack on weight quickly.

100% grass-fed cattle stay on pasture their entire lives, eating only grass and hay. No grain ever.

Our cattle live on pasture eating grass, then receive a short grain-finishing period (typically 45-90 days) using whole ingredients. No hormones. No antibiotics. Just quality grain to improve marbling and flavor while keeping the nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef.

The Nutritional Reality

Research shows grass-fed beef contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and vitamins A and E compared to feedlot beef. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is better. You get more antioxidants. These differences matter for long-term health.

Grain finishing does reduce some of these benefits compared to 100% grass-fed. But our approach keeps most of the nutritional advantages while improving marbling and flavor. Studies show cattle finished on grain for short periods maintain significantly higher omega-3 levels than feedlot cattle finished for months on confined feeding.

The key is the time spent on pasture. Our cattle live 18-24 months eating grass. The grain-finishing period is a small fraction of their lives. Compare that to feedlot cattle that spend 4-6 months in confinement eating grain designed for maximum weight gain.

Why Flavor and Marbling Matter

100% grass-fed beef is lean. Very lean. Some people love it. Others find it tough or gamey, especially if they're used to grocery store beef.

Grain finishing improves marbling (the fat distributed throughout the meat) which affects both flavor and tenderness. The extra marbling makes the beef more forgiving to cook. It stays juicier. The flavor is richer and less intense than pure grass-fed.

This matters when you're trying to get your family to eat better beef. If they won't eat it because the texture is different or the flavor is too strong, you've gained nothing. Grain finishing bridges the gap between what's nutritionally better and what people will actually enjoy eating.

What We Don't Do

We don't use growth hormones to speed development. We don't use antibiotics preventively. We don't confine cattle in feedlots. We don't feed them grain for months to maximize weight gain regardless of animal welfare.

The grain our cattle receive comes from whole ingredients, not industrial feed designed purely for rapid weight gain. The finishing period is measured in weeks, not months. The cattle remain on our ranch, not shipped to a feedlot.

The Trade-Offs

You're getting better nutrition than feedlot beef but not quite the omega-3 levels of pure grass-fed. You're getting better flavor and marbling than grass-fed but not the heavy marbling of months-long grain feeding.

These trade-offs are intentional. We're optimizing for beef that tastes good, cooks well, and maintains most of the nutritional benefits of grass-fed production. If you want the absolute highest omega-3 content possible, buy 100% grass-fed from a ranch you trust. If you want beef your family will actually eat while still getting significant nutritional benefits over feedlot beef, this is the better option.

Why This Approach Makes Sense

Cattle are ruminants designed to eat grass. Their digestive systems work best on forage. Spending their lives on pasture keeps them healthier and produces more nutrient-dense beef.

But cattle also evolved eating various foods, including seeds (which is what grain is). A short period of grain finishing isn't contrary to their biology. It's using their natural ability to convert different feeds into meat while keeping them on pasture for the vast majority of their lives.

This matters for animal welfare. Our cattle aren't standing in muddy feedlots. They're grazing on grass with room to move until the final finishing period. That's a completely different life than industrial beef production.

What You're Getting

When you buy from Culbertson Cattle Co., you're getting beef from cattle that:

• Spent their lives on pasture
• Ate grass for 90%+ of their diet
• Received grain finishing with whole ingredients (no hormones, no antibiotics)
• Were never confined in feedlots
• Were raised with attention to animal welfare and land management

The result is beef with better nutrition than feedlot beef, better flavor and marbling than 100% grass-fed, and complete transparency about how we raised it.

Questions about how we raise our cattle or what's currently available? Call Colby at 334-208-7244 or email beef@culbertsoncattleco.com.