From Wyoming Pasture to the Finish: What We Feed Our Beef and Why
Good beef begins long before a steak reaches the skillet. It begins with the animal, the pasture, and the daily work of raising it well.
At Big Horn Mountain Farms, our Wyoming Wagyu cattle are raised at Steerhead Ranch in Buffalo, Wyoming, in the shadows of the Bighorn Mountains. For the beef featured here, that story includes grass pasture followed by finishing with our custom non-GMO feed blend.
Our feeding program brings together corn, canola, peas, sunflower, oats, barley, hay, and Wyoming grass. Each contributes something different. Together, those ingredients provide the building blocks for growth and finishing—the stage when nutrition helps cattle develop the condition and fat that influence the eating experience.
Pasture-raised, with a grain finish
Our cattle’s pasture background is part of their story, and so is their finishing diet. Because our blend includes corn, oats, and barley, this is a grain-containing finish.
For customers choosing between this beef and a 100% grass-finished option, that distinction matters. We want you to understand both where the cattle were raised and what they ate.
What each ingredient contributes
Corn: energy for finishing. Corn supplies starch, a concentrated energy source. Adequate energy supports growth and fat deposition, including the opportunity to develop marbling. Corn also supplies some protein, but works alongside other protein sources in the diet. [1]
Canola: protein, with energy depending on its form. Canola meal contributes protein after much of the oil has been extracted. Canola seed also contains substantial oil. Its role therefore depends on the form being fed: protein support, additional energy, or both. [1, 2]
Peas: protein and starch together. Field peas provide both energy and protein, including protein available to the microbes in the rumen. Those microbes help cattle turn feed into usable nutrients. Peas complement the grain portion of a ration by bringing more protein to the mix. [2]
Sunflower: another source of protein and, when retained, oil. Sunflower seeds provide protein and oil-based energy; sunflower meal is primarily useful as a protein ingredient, with composition affected by processing. This makes the form and amount as important as the ingredient name. [1, 2]
Oats: energy with more fiber. Oats provide starch and protein, along with more fiber than corn. They contribute a different nutritional balance within the grain portion of the feed. Their fiber does not replace the need for appropriate forage. [1]
Barley: another useful energy grain. Barley supplies starch and generally more protein and fiber than corn. It contributes to the energy available for growth and finishing; how it is processed and incorporated into the overall ration affects its use. [1]
Hay: forage that supports rumen function. Suitable hay supplies the physical fiber that encourages chewing and rumination. Its protein and energy content vary with the plants harvested and their maturity. Forage is a functional part of feeding cattle, even when grain contributes finishing energy. [2]
Wyoming grass: the pasture foundation. Cattle can use pasture because their rumen microbes break down plant fiber. Grass supplies energy and varying amounts of protein and minerals. Its nutritional value changes with the season and growing conditions; its Wyoming origin alone does not guarantee a particular nutrient profile. [2]
How feeding connects to the beef on your plate
The connection is through the whole animal. Energy supports growth and fat deposition, protein supports tissue development, and appropriate forage supports digestion.
Marbling—the fat within the muscle—can contribute to beef’s juiciness and eating quality. Nutrition works alongside genetics, animal care, harvest handling, aging, and cooking. A feed ingredient cannot guarantee tenderness or a particular marbling score on its own. [3]
For our Wagyu × Angus cattle, the aim is to support the animal’s potential through its finishing period. The ingredient list explains how different feeds contribute to that goal; it does not mean a steak takes on the flavor of corn, oats, or sunflower.
Our non-GMO feed choice is also part of how we describe our production. It is not, by itself, evidence of a richer-tasting or more nutritious steak.
When you choose beef from Big Horn Mountain Farms, we want the feeding story to be clear: Wyoming pasture, a named finishing approach, and an understanding of what goes into raising the animal behind your meal.
Explore our Wyoming Wagyu cuts, or ask about the finishing options available for your next bulk beef reservation.
Sources and further reading
1. NDSU Extension — Feeding Corn to Beef Cattle. Grain nutrient comparisons and complementary protein sources.
2. NDSU Extension — Alternative Feeds for Ruminants. Peas, canola, sunflower, and forage variability.
3. Penn State Extension — High Quality Meat Starts with Animal Care. Animal care and fat’s relationship to eating quality.
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