The concept of raising livestock is getting more visibility which is leading to new initiatives. In our previous articles, we explained how we raise the best breeds on the best feeds for healthy and delicious consumption. However, there’s the dilemma of the best environment to raise livestock. What kind of environment is Rotational grazing, how do we use it to raise our livestock, and how do we treat them to prevent stress? These are the questions we’ll be answering in this post.
As a family-run farm, Redemption Springs aims to provide an all-natural atmosphere for the livestock, visitors, and customers. We ensure that our products are free of anything unnatural and raised in the best environment.
Rotational Grazing
In retrospect, many farmers still use traditional and unsustainable methods of raising livestock. However, the world is advancing, thus the need for more sustainable methods. So, we at Redemption Springs use sustainable and regenerative farming methods. Some of the methods include; multi-species livestock, mob grazing, using equipment with a low carbon footprint, and raise heritage breeds using organic methods to produce quality products.
We raise the best-tasting livestock on the best feeds and in the best environment. Our environment is called the Rotational Grazing environment. This environment focuses on soil health, the plant health, and the animal health. With a rotational grazing environment, we can manage our animals to improve the soil and vegetation. This will also have a great impact on the health of the livestock and indirectly, the consumers.
The animals move in groups to feed on the grass and there’s a recovery time for the grasses before the animals feed on them again. Multiple species move across the same ground one after another. This mimicks the way the great plains self manage themselves. Each species eats different plants, and deposits different types of fertilizers behind them. They move away from their own manure to minimize illness. The constant motion, moving away from where they just grazed and fertilized also disrupts the natural parasite life cycle, minimizing internal parasites. Chickens come last, scratching the various manures into the ground, which ariates and fertilized the plant roots.
The fast-growing French Guiness help to reduce the tick population on the farm; while the Livestock Guardian Dog lowers predator pressure. Likewise, our multi-species grazing, regenerative grazing, and other sustainability methods help us to build organic matter in the soil. It aids the growth of the grazing plant and contributes massively to our livestock’s nutrition.
Besides, we also rear rare heritage livestock which are better suited to a natural grazing environment, and fit into the natural cycles better than a commercial animal, further benefiting the entire environment. In these ways and more we ensure to always have a suitable environment that improves the land and keeps our breeds in absolute health condition.
Stress Free Environment
It’s a popular notion that animals store stress in their muscles. This isn’t hearsay as it’s scientifically proven. We have stiff muscles after a stressful day, and it’s no different for an animal. Stress can affect both the physical and emotional well-being of animals. Stress hormones also toughen and sour the meat. But understanding their behavior provides a glimpse into the factors that contribute to the livestock’s stress level. Stressors are any factor that causes stress in animals. They can be anything, and it’s crucial to know the issue in order to reduce the impact on the animal.
Stressors can be categorized into:
- Physical – Injury, tiredness
- Physiological- Hunger, unfamiliar environment
- Behavioral – Strange noise, predator pressure
Physiological and physical stress are easily managed with the best feed and adequate treatment. But this is different for behavioral stress; such as climate changes, overcrowding, predator pressure, and strange noise.
Fortunately, we minimize these factors for our animals. At Redemption Springs, we have adequate food, water, shelter, and guardian dogs that remove predators pressure but encourage natural prey. With our breeding techniques, we know the climate that suits each of our animals. It’s the same for eliminating strange noises; our main equipment is the John Deere Gator that’s quiet, and the animals are quite familiar with it. The equipment has lower soil compaction for the health of the pastures, and it’s fuel-efficient; hence it’s perfect for our unique farming system.
Meanwhile, we take good care of our animals by touching them daily and creating a bond with them. The animals trust us, and they’re amazing at interacting with humans since we usually have lots of visitors on the farm. We even minimize stress in transport or at the butchering facility with feed, water, and continued hands on calming and care; making our livestock free from stress hormones for incredible taste and healthy consumption.
Similarly, by providing adequate living conditions for our best breeds on the best feeds and in the best environment, you can trust our services. Improving livestock welfare is an area we’re passionate about as we understand what it takes!