Why Choose our Beef?
Our Beef is Home Raised
All animals raised on our farm are from our own herd stock. The Angus are purchased to improve breeding genetics.
No Drugs, Hormones or Implants
All our beef is raised naturally with no feed additives other than our home grown corn and roasted soybeans that are ground to make dry feed. Hay, corn silage and grass are also part of their diet. Cattle are allowed access to pasture, rather than confined in a crowded feedlot.
No animal by-products have ever been fed in the last 100 years on this farm.
The feeding mix consists of ground shelled corn, vitamins, minerals, dry molasses, barley and roasted soybeans.
Our cattle are harvested young, 14-20 months of age.
All meat is Federally inspected and only healthy animals are processed. Mad Cow Disease BSE is not a concern with Hickory Chance Beef. The cattle herd is maintained in excellent health, free of two common viral diseases, and free from the deadly O157 H7 strain of E coli as tested by federal health inspectors.
The Nutrition in Beef
If you are looking for a good food that can be considered a “multivitamin”, you need to look no further than beef. Three of the key nutrients are Zinc, Iron, and Protein – also known as "ZIP".
According to the USDA, a 3-ounce serving of beef supplies 50% of the daily recommendation for protein, 14% of the iron, and 39% of the zinc – all for just 10% of a 2,000 calorie diet.
The same serving provides 37% of the daily recommendation of B-12, 16% of B-6, 18% of Niacin, and 12% of Riboflavin. All that in a package that a vitamin pill would find hard to beat!
Our Cattle's Nutrition
Our cattle have access to free choice grain from birth to market live weight which is about 1300 to 1450 pounds for the commercial market and 1050 to 1150 lbs for the home retail market.
The lighter weights mean younger (about 14-20 months old) animals and the grain will insure more favorable meat. No growth hormones are implanted or fed.
University research has proven that feeding a consistent feed and eliminating the stress of weaning and change of nutrition from pasture to feedlot is the best way to achieve marbling in the meat.
Our Beef has Won Awards!
Supreme Beef Heifer at both Harford County and MD State Fairs.
Champion Simmental Bull at MD State Fair & Eastern National Livestock Show.
Champion Cow/Calf at Harford County and MD State Fair.
What You Should Know About Commercial Meat
Argentina beef is recognized for its tenderness. The steers are marketed at 880 pounds and heifers at 550 pounds live weight. They will be about 12-16 months old and are implanted with growth hormones at 8 months of age. Their diet is mostly grass with some supplemental feed.
US Mid-West feedlot beef will be marketed when their live weight is 1350 to 1450 pounds. They are also implanted with growth hormones usually at 6 months and again at 10 months of age and marketed at 18-27 months old.
Pasture fed beef takes 28 – 36 months to reach market weight of 1300 lbs. Pasture only fed beef claims to be lean but lacks tenderness and taste.