October 20, 2005

Raising Cattle “Natural” Way Requires Decisions

This is decision time for cattle producers who are weaning their calves this fall, a North Dakota State University beef expert says.

Producers with calves that haven’t received any hormone supplements or antibiotics need to decide whether to raise those animals the “natural” way. Most spring-born calves haven’t been treated with antibiotics or hormones by the time they are ready to be weaned in the fall, according to Karl Hoppe, Extension Service beef specialist at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center.

However, producing beef naturally means different things for different markets.

Some companies selling natural beef follow the “never, ever” rule, which means that producers must raise the cattle from birth without ever giving the animals supplemental hormones and antibiotics.

Other companies allow the use of antibiotics or supplemental hormones if producers stop giving their cattle those products 90 or 120 days before the cattle go to market. Some natural companies also allow ionophores, such as rumensin and bovatec, and coccidiostats, while others will not.

“The important issue is to know the requirements of the market outlets for which you are producing,” Hoppe advises cattle producers.

He says a good vaccination program is essential for successful natural beef production. The natural beef industry advocates immunizing calves to prevent disease rather than using antibiotics to treat a sick animal.

But if an animal does get sick, producers should use antibiotics, Hoppe says. Then producers simply need to make sure they don’t sell the animal into a natural beef market, and that they comply with the appropriate waiting period after the last time they give the animal antibiotics before selling it.

Hoppe says producers also need to know that raising calves naturally is not the same as organic beef production. Organic beef must be raised under organic verification on an organically certified farm or ranch and fed organic feeds. To learn more about organic standards, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service national organic program Web site at www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm.

Despite the restrictions, raising cattle naturally has some advantages, Hoppe says. For example:

• Meat processors identify beef produced naturally as a higher value product for consumers in some markets.
• Getting into the natural beef niche market has been a success for nationwide companies such as Denver-based Coleman Natural Meats and Maverick Ranch Natural Meats. They are marketing to specialty food purveyors, as well as major food outlets.
• The natural meat production sector has grown during the past decade because of consumers’ interest in the meat.

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Source: Karl Hoppe, (701) 652-2591, karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu
Editor: Ellen Crawford, (701) 231-5391, ecrawfor@ndsuext.nodak.edu

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