100% Grass-Fed Beef Program Recommendations

 

 

 

Contact Information:

 

Name

Title

Phone

Fax

Email

Todd Churchill

Owner

612-756-1346

507-263-4019

todd@thousandhillscattleco.com

Nate Chisholm

Field Rep

612-756-0720

507-263-4019

natec@thousandhillscattleco.com

Will Winter, DVM

Herd Health Consultant

612-756-1232

 

holistic@visi.com

 

 

How to Get Started in Grass Fed Beef Production:

 

  1. Gain basic industry knowledge:
    1. Attend THCC Summer Producers Conference (for more info see www.thousandhillscattleco.com)
    2. Purchase the 8hr DVD set from the 2006 Producer Conference (see THCC website)
    3. Subscribe to The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine (www.stockmangrassfarmer.com)
    4. Subscribe to Acres USA magazine (www.acresusa.com)

 

  1. Evaluate your land base.  Is it best suited to a cow-calf operation or to finishing steers and heifers on forages?  (This is covered in detail in the DVD set from the 2006 Producer Conference.)

 

  1. Develop a strategy for sourcing cattle suitable for grass finishing.
    1. You need to learn how to select cattle that will gain weight efficiently on grass and produce desirable carcasses.  (This is covered in the DVD set as well.)
    2. If you have a cow-calf operation, you will need to find breeding stock that is acceptable to THCC.
    3. If you are a finishing operation, you will need to find a source for calves or yearlings to purchase and resell to THCC as fat cattle.  THCC representatives can help with this.

 

  1. Develop a plan for raising high-brix forages.  Brix one of the simplest and best measurements of plant health and nutrient density.  Most problems with poor average daily gains, animal sickness, and poor quality meat can be solved by learning how to raise high brix forages.  This is also covered in depth in the DVD set from the 2006 Producers Conference)

 

 

 

 

  1. Develop skills in management intensive grazing.  Learn how to graze a minimum of 50,000 lbs per acre.  Nate Chisholm has considerable experience in this area, and can teach you to use livestock to build organic matter and improve the health of your soils.

 

  1. Develop a holistic herd health plan with Will Winter, DVM.  Dr. Winter is the THCC herd health consultant, and has many years of experience not only responding to livestock sickness crises, but teaching farmer and ranchers how to permanently create and maintain a healthy herd.  This typically involves an on-site visit to you farm. 
    1. If you can prevent just 2 animals from needing antibiotics for pinkeye or foot rot, making them ineligible for THCC, this will pay for the cost of the on-site visit.  (Once again, this topic is included in the DVD set.)
    2. Develop a plan to eliminate the use of chemical de-wormers, and minimize the use of vaccines..

 

  1. Increase the bio-diversity of your farm.  The more species of soil organisms, plants, and animals present, the more resilient your farm is to disease and predation.

 

  1. Weigh your cattle every 60-90 days to track average daily gains.
    1. Each animal should have an minimum average daily gain of 1.25 lbs in every weighing period (defined below) from weaning to slaughter.
    2. Each animal should have an average daily gain of 1.75 lbs in the final weighing period before slaughter.
    3. Each animal must be weighed individually every 90 – 120 day period (weighing period)
    4. Scale records must be kept for each animal by ear tag #, and be available for inspection.

 

  1. Genetics:
    1. Only British breed cattle are acceptable (Hereford, Black/Red Angus, British White, Murray Grey, Shorthorn, Galloway, Devon)
    2. Cattle cross-bred to Continental-French breeds (Charlois, Simmental, Limosin, etc.) are not eligible for this program.
    3. Only a small subset of the British breeds are acceptable into the THCC program.
    4. Call for more information about sources for verified genetics.