Here at Nimitz Beef we have a natural take on weight gains in our animals. Historically, animal science and research has focused on increasing the dry matter intake of animals in relation to gains. The more that goes in, the more the animal can gain… It is a simple science. They largely focus on high energy diets - think of it as a high caloric diet for cows - in particular grains such as barley and corn have gained popularity in the last hundred years as an effective way of putting pounds on beef. 

We are working with a little bit different of an idea. We believe that if we control the diet of our animals and focus on healthy intake (quality) instead of quantity we can still achieve substantial gains without harming the animal’s health. The process is a bit slower (taking 6-12 months longer), but the end result is a healthier, happier animal and a quality cut of meat for you, the customer. We use a balanced system of maintaining the energy levels they would normally intake, while supplementing extra proteins and healthy fats to help maintain a healthy diet and promote gains even in colder weather. The supplementary diet they receive is flax based and free of grains, the rest of their diet is green grass or hay. 

To make it really simple, let’s pretend you are a spry young beef trying to pack on some pounds. Here are two options you can choose from: 

Option 1: Imagine you and several of your friends are living in a bachelor apartment, around 450 square feet. Definitely no room for exercise equipment! Every day, you order take out directly to your door. You eat fast, high caloric food for every meal, and sit on the couch watching TV. Occasionally you feel sick from overeating, so a doctor comes and gives you a shot of antibiotics, but you never go to the hospital. Science is simple; you are gaining weight, mostly fat. Finally, the day comes where you've gained so much weight, you can't fit out the door anymore. That's okay though, because at least you can order in! 

Option 2: Now imagine you live in a 4500 square foot house. Not only do you have a backyard to relax in, you've got a gym in the basement to exercise whenever you want. Hell, you've even got a personal trainer who comes in! You've got a fridge full of healthy, natural snacks, like fruit and vegetables that you can eat whenever you want. You could even call it a natural grazing program. Because you and your friends each have their own bedroom, you never get sick from a cramped or dirty environment. Every day you eat healthy and work out – you've gained muscle mass, but it's taken a while to get to your goal weight. You feel great and you are looking better.