Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) recently unveiled new materials that showcase the benefits of pasture-raised livestock and poultry, including how pasturing improves animal welfare and soil health. They also highlight studies that show pasturing produces meat, milk, and eggs with superior nutrition when compared with conventionally raised livestock.
The handouts on FACT’s website include information on beef cattle, dairy cows, laying hens, meat birds, pigs, sheep, and goats, and an overview that summarizes all of the animals.
FACT is committed to helping livestock and poultry farmers raise their animals outdoors on well-managed pasture due to the numerous benefits associated with pasture-based animal production. Animals living on pasture can move freely and engage in natural behaviors. They also experience lower stress, disease and lameness, as well as fewer reproductive problems. Pasture-based animal production can help to improve soil health and fertility, and mitigate climate change.
In addition, studies consistently show that pasture-raised animals produce nutritionally superior meat, milk and eggs. When compared to food from animals that were fed grain and raised in confinement, food from animals raised on pasture has better fat quality and increased levels of essential vitamins and nutrients.
