What's the difference between grain-fed and grass-fed? Understanding the two feeding methods in one article

Usually, the beef we eat falls mainly into two categories: grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef. In the beef trade, customers often ask what grain-fed/grass-fed beef is.

The growth of beef cattle all starts with being fed cow's milk; after the cattle are weaned, they are fed pasture grass, and once the cattle reach a certain weight standard, they will be selected to continue being fed pasture grass or to be fed grain, until they reach the expected target weight.

The two feeding methods differ greatly in terms of feeding cost, meat quality characteristics and feeding time.

Grass-fed cattle are mainly raised in pastoral areas, fed natural fresh pasture grass, and the feeding time is relatively long, until they reach maturity (usually 30-36 months of age). Grass-fed beef has less fat in the muscle, and most of its fat accumulates under the skin, making it easy to remove when eating.

Grain-fed cattle: after calves have eaten pasture grass until they reach a certain weight or age, they enter a feedlot to be fattened on grain feed, so that the cattle grow to the expected weight as quickly as possible. To ensure the cattle take in balanced nutrition, the grain feed contains ingredients such as barley, wheat, sorghum, corn and oats.Grain-fed cattle have a higher fat content, and the fat is evenly distributed in the muscle tissue, which is what we often call marbling or intramuscular fat.