Most cattle also primarily graze. They are only in feedlots for a few months of their lives. Corn doesn't necessarily make cattle ill anymore than forage related illnesses such as grass tetany, pasture bloat, nitrate toxicity, or prussic acid poisoning.

In addition, most cows graze & eat forages their whole lives. Their offspring (steers & heifers) may end up on a feedlot as yearlings but have usually also grazed up until that point.

It was a simplistic answer, on my part, and yes you are correct. Cattle raised commercially are subject to all the illnesses that you speak of. The commercial environment in which they "graze" (before heading to the feedlot) pollutes the land and the air, destroys the pastures and leaves no nutrients behind, because there is no management of the grass or the pastures. The grass illness are from over grazing on bad grass. The principals of Management Intensive Grazing (MIG, also called rotational grazing) create healthy herbivores. These animals can be used to manage grazing land. The cattle harvest the crop, increase the fertility of the land, improve the variety and quality of the grass community and are the economic engine that makes it possible. This management systems enable the grass farmer to rotate the cattle to a new pasture every couple days. Using cattle in a MIG system is the most efficient way to improve land while using the least fuel and machinery. A healthy MIG pasture actually cleans the air by pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and utilizing it in the soil. The cattle put the fertilizer in the pasture where it is needed and use no additional fertilizer or herbicides.

I don't know where you've gotten your information but I've raised cattle my whole life...on a small farm...non-intensive....as most other calves are raised in this country on cow/calf farms. Grass illnesses are not related to poor grass. They are related to any pasture, anywhere, on any size farm. For example: grass bloat (or sometimes called pasture bloat) is primarily caused by new lush legumes like alfalfa & clover (primarily clover in our area). Clover is a great forage for cattle, biologically but too much and boom! Bloat. As a pasture grazer, we help prevent this by not turning hungry cattle onto lush new pastures high in legumes. It is best to allow them to graze, eat hay, then slowly introduce them to the new pasture. Another issue in our area (due to our climate & naturalized grasses) is fescue toxicosis. Again, not a commercial issue...has nothing to do with that. Is a climate/environmental natural issue.

Grass tentany has nothing to do with poor pastures. It is caused by a low magnesium level in the cattle & is a natural occurrence. The risk is the highest in the spring with lush green new pastures. The cow, at this time, needs more magnesium because she is lactating. At the same time, the pastures are lower in magnesium during this period. The fix is keeping mineral salt available as free choice to the cows at all times. Believe me, they'll let you know when the mineral feeder is empty. They'll bang into it and holler at you...loudly! :) We also make sure to still keep our stored hay at all times. This will help supply more magnesium the cows bodies need.

All of these pasture/grass related illnesses can be greater when the environment gives us bad weather. Whether that be droughts or too much rain. We are at the hands of nature.

Calves are majority raised on small farms all across the country. The ones you view from the country rural roadside with cows & calves grazing on picturesque landscapes with wooded tree lines, ponds, creeks, and natural springs. Our particular state is a feeder state. Primarily small cow/calf farms w/less than 40 head. However, we are also the largest beef producing state East of the Mississippi River & are a grass producing state, thus ideal to grow calves. Most of our states calves will eventually travel to a feedlot. Typically around 12 months of age (yearlings). They didn't begin there. They began here, on small farms, grazing beside their mothers on rolling picturesque landscape. This is the story of the beginnings of most cattle in our food chain.

My point is, these are not commercial issues and know no size. It is not about having bad pastures or grasses. It is a natural occurrence in our climates that we farmers protect our cattle from.

Not meaning at all to discount or discredit what you do, at all. It is obvious you and your family are awesome, caring ranchers. Bad grass was meant to be in part a joke, but I can see why it is not. You have the hands on experience that I do not. I have however seen a cow with Tetany, and that is not pretty. My learning has come from in part (and I am still learning and claim to be no expert in grass diseases or farming) from the grass farmers that I know personally. Scott Meyer of Sweet Grass Farm on Lopez has told me, those that understand the stages of the grass can avoid these deadly illnesses that are caused by grass. http://www.sgfbeef.com/about.htm. In regards to most calves raised in picturesque settings…I have been to farms, throughout the country, (I agree that Washington is beautiful and picturesque) way back off the road and it was far from picturesque. You clearly care and are good at what you do and my preference and support of local farms that birth, raise and process their animals right on the farm, doesn’t take away from that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/interviews/pollan.html

No worries. We also are a pasture to plate operation...completely. We're generational farmers & generational butchers. http://johnscustommeats.com/our-story.htm
With that, we appreciate all the support for small farmers. But, we also understand there are many misconceptions and firmly believe in order to remain true to our craft, correcting or at least trying to correct is as important to our sustainability as how we bring our meats to your plates.

What a beautiful farm!!!! Heck if I were an animal I would want to live there...I want to live there ;-) I bet you sell to a lot of chef's just like me. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to healthy farming. (also thanks for the ride and the education.)

Thank you! Chef's are definitely a valued part of our business. They certainly share our passion for great tasting meats. As a total meat snob, I gotta love that! :D