The cattle receive only vaccinations against communicable diseases (Brucellosis, hoof-and mouth) as required by law.
Animals sold for food never receive antibiotics.
No commercial fertilizers,
herbicides, or pesticides are used on the pastures -- and have not been used on the farm for many years.
Our
Pineywoods cattle are not fattened in a feedlot. The unique flavor of the meat comes from the natural forage -- a unique blend
of herbs, brush, and grass (acorns, oak leaves, honeysuckle, privet, fescue, clover, Bermuda, (and even poison ivy...) grown
on Hudson River Landing Farm. The cattle receive free choice natural trace minerals and iodine in the spring and fall to
boost their immune system against fescue foot.
We manage the farm
so that the animals graze in the open pastures throughout the year. Given the high fescue content of the pastures, which
grows through most of the winter in Georgia, we normally do not feed hay. However, in years when conditions warrant we feed
hay of the same grasses as the summer pasture (Fescue/Bermuda).
The
only feed we give them are "cow candy" treats made of pressed pellets of alfalfa and molasses. Our cows are very friendly
and come frollicking from a great distance when called -- all hoping for a treat. They are real beggars!
The cattle are never confined in pastures smaller than 10 acres and their usual
range is in pastures 30-80 acres. All pastures are a mixutre of open pasture and woods. Our goal is to provide as natural
a habitat as possible. Deer, wild turkey, squirrels, racoon, oposum, and many other wild creatures live alongside the cattle.
The cattle are never fed or fattened in feed lot conditions.
All
cattle kept on the farm are registered with the Pineywoods Cattle Registry and Breeders Association (PCRBA) and are all purebred
Pineywoods. We specialize in two family strains -- Holt (a strain originally from south Georgia) and Broadus (from southern
Mississippi. We also have a number of registered Pineywoods with a mixture of family strains.
We
try to maintain the broad original gene pool and especially seek to maintain the "guinea" or dwarf variety under 42 inches
shoulder height. Currenlty, we have a number of these animals in the Broadus family strain. These animals tend to have
stocky bodies and produce almost as much meat as a regular animal. Some ranchers prefer these animals as they can be maintained
with less fencing.