Is Irish produced meat grass fed ?

RobAMerc

or is it only dairy cows I see hanging about in fields chewing the green stuff ?

Or is it all just cows in big sheds getting fed God knows to fatten them up?

Dotcomdolly

Ah you see I assumed they were (I presume you are asking for paleo reasons) - grass in the summer months, silage in the winter...but now that you say it maybe they're just the dairy cows and the meat cows are locked up in a shed eating corn & oats :eek:

reilig

The majority of irish beef is grass fed (More than 95%). Fed on grass during the summer months and silage or hay during the winter months - often supplemented with 1kg of ration (Soya bean or barley or oats etc) in order to promote a little bit of fat growth which gives better meat. The other 5% is fed on maze and ration etc. A small proportion of cattle in Ireland are fed on potatoes.

You should ask when you buy your meat, where it comes from. The butcher should be able to tell you what age the animal was when slaughtered, and what the animal was fed on. Many meat counters will be able to tell you the name of the farmer who fed the animal. There is an extensive traceability system in existance in the irish beef industry which is able to trace meat from fork to farm.

WesternZulu

I would hazard a guess that a higher percentage Irish beef and lamb is grass fed than nearly any other country.

Just look all around you, we are surrounded by grass. It would be a very foolish farmer to not use this resource.

El_Dangeroso

They are fattened on grain a little at the end of their lives but not so much that it would make them as sick as the cows on factory feed lots in the US.

I've had 100% grass-fed meat, it's very gamey, so I'd take the slight grain for the better tasting meat.

MonkeyBalls

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

I've had 100% grass-fed meat, it's very gamey, so I'd take the slight grain for the better tasting meat.

Where did you get the 100% grass-fed meat?

I realise I'm bumping a pretty old thread.

El_Dangeroso

MonkeyBalls wrote: »

Where did you get the 100% grass-fed meat?

I realise I'm bumping a pretty old thread.

It was in San Francisco in an organic restaurant. It was chewy as anything.