Cow Farts, Dog Farts…

Let me go on record, certified grassfed cows simply do not pass that much gas. We visit the herd nearly every day and Doug can count on one hand how many times he has heard a pasture grazed beef fart over the past 8 years.

Doug just happened to hear a cow fart the other day when a steer was getting up from chewing his cud. Let’s face it, sometimes when we strain, a little toot will slip out. The reason Doug took note of this recent toot is because cow farts are rare from our 100% grassfed herd. In addition, cow farts are a current “hot” topic with the Green New Deal media coverage.

Why are farts so rare with grassfed beef?

An animal eating a diet it is designed to consume will have a healthy digestive system. For example, who hasn’t been by the pet food isle lately and noticed the surge in “Grain Free Dog Food“? Doug must admit, we messed up with our dog for a number of years. Why did we ever feed our dog (a carnivore), food heavy in grains?

When we switched our dog to “grain free” food, the results were amazing. Her coat and attitude improved and wow what a reduction in dog farts! Again, an animal living on a diet that it was designed to eat will have a healthy digestive system and rarely pass gas.

Dog Farts, People Farts

You probably don’t need another example, but it is true! Years ago Doug complained to the Doctor about “gas“. What was Doc’s suggestion… BEANO! This is back in the day when Doug had some serious digestive health issues. Let’s face it, Doctors just do not receive nutrition training during their medical education. After years of my own nutrition research and help from our friend at the Health Nut Highway, “passing gas” is a rare event now compared to what it use to be in the Garrison house. Switching to a LOWER CARB – HIGHER FAT – HIGHER PROTEIN diet has done wonders for Doug’s digestive health and Sheila’s nose. Doug still likes his carbs but tries to stay below 50 grams of carbs a day.

Where are we headed with this blog post?

Farting Cows, the New Green Deal and carbon! We are going to spend the next few blog posts talking about carbon in the soil, in plants, in the air, in water, in rocks and wherever else we can find it.

Do cows living in a feedlot being fed a diet high in starches pass more gas than cows living full time on pasture? You bet! Feedlot beef have upset stomachs from eating a diet they are not designed to eat, a high starch diet. For a review comparing our pasture grazed beef diet to the diet of feedlot beef, refer to the blog post, ‘Gamey or Beefy Flavor‘.

Do DS Family Farm Animal Welfare Approved – Certified Grassfed cattle contribute to the “elevated” carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere? Follow along with our upcoming blog posts and feel free to share your thoughts on the DS Family Farm FaceBook page.