Finishing lambs on pasture cuts costs and enhances the quality of the meat

According to this North Carolina study, lambs raised on alfalfa pasture had "higher carcass weight average dressing percentage, yield grade and carcass value (P<<.05) than those fed on the grain-based ration. . . The high quality carcasses were produced at a much reduced cost as compared to traditional feeding management." All told, the net return for the lambs raised on pasture was $15.97/head higher. For more details, read Use Of Alfalfa Pasture For Finishing Lambs.

In a second grazing experiment, meat from lambs finished on pasture had 14 percent less fat and 8 percent more protein than grain-fed lambs. Click here for details of this study.