Ranch Animals Tour

Welcome to the ranching side of JJD Ranch. We raise cattle and sheep in the most natural way possible. Raising livestock has long been a way of life in this part of Texas. With our relatively mild winters, our rolling praiires of rich native grassland, and our abundant network of spring fed ponds, this area provides an ideal living environment for cattle, meat producing sheep, and a wide variety of other livestock. We are located just a little to the north and ever so slightly east of Ft Worth. And the rich cattleman / ranching heritage that is so prevalent in Ft Worth extends well into our area.

Our ranching goal is to bring the most authentic tasting and highest in quality and nutritional value meats to both our table and yours. We raise our livestock using the same practices that have been used in this area by ranchers for many many years. Our animals live out their lives happily grazing on our native grassland pastures, and then they go straight to be processed into meats that we make available to be sold. The majority of our sheep are born right here on our ranch. Some of our cattle have also been born here. So, you can be assured that the meats you purchase from us have come from animals that have enjoyed lives that are very close to the lives they might have spent in the wild with the exception that we are here to keep them healthy and safe.

We would like to introduce you to our very happy cows. We keep a very small herd here at JJD Ranch. The herd is small enough that they all know each other. We know each of them. And, they all know us. Are they "spoiled"? Perhaps a little. They are definitely well cared for, and they definitely know we enjoy the company of each and every one of them. A beef cow's life is a short one because they are meant to be meat for us, so they fulfill their purpose in life pretty young. But that does not mean we do not do our best to make all of the days they have as happy as any cow's life can be. If you live in our area, we welcome you to come by and get to know them in person. They often come up to the fence to see who is here to visit with them. On hot summer days, though, you may find them enjoying a swim in the pond. If it is winter time, and there has been snow, you will find them playing together in it. And, many days, you will just find them hanging out together as they stroll through our naturally maintained pastures enjoying a healthy meal of native grasses and all of the other plants they like to forage on.

Most of our cows are Black Angus, but we have a couple of Angus / Belted Galloway mixes. That was not intentional. Our neighbor's bull jumped the fence, and we were unexpectedly blessed with a couple of bull calves that year. We usually purchase our calves from our dear friends at RR Wilderness Ranch. We know that when we get calves from them, they have absolutely been 100% grassfed, and they are absolutely 100% Black Angus. They typically come to us when they are about a year old, and then we finish raising them here at JJD Ranch. Why Black Angus? According to several sources, the meat from an Angus cow is one of the most sought after beefs available. Angus are known for the marbling of fat throughout their meat that makes the meat tender and very flavorful. Angus is high in Omega 3, and it is a complete protein. Unlike some other types of beef, Angus is well known to be very versatile which makes it a great choice whether you are grilling, roasting, or browning it in a skillet for a casserole, a meat sauce, or chili. What about those Angus / Belted Galloway mixes? Well, it turns out that they offer an even better meat option. With them, you get the best of both worlds. Belted Galloway cows also produce a well marbled meat, so it is also tender and very flavorful. But, it is lower in fat content, higher in protein, and often has a higher ration of Omega 6 to Omega 3 than even Angus which makes it a great heart healhty choice. So, we are not at all unhappy to have our two Angus / Belted Galloway steers. If their meat is as tender and flavorful as we expect it will be, we may continue to intentionally breed the mix going forward.

Why grass-fed / grass-finished? Our cows live their lives on a diet of grasses that grow natively in our pastures, alfalfa cubes for treats, and hay when it is too cold or too hot for our pastures alone to keep them well fed. They simply are fed on grass and the plants from native pastures just as cows were on ranches in our area in the past. The idea of raising cattle on a predominately grain diet did not become popular in the US until in the 20th century. So, because of our desire to preserve the heritage of our area, our cows eat what cows naturally eat. But, there is another reason for us to raise grass-fed cows. Research is showing that the original way of raising cattle produces the most nutrient dense meat. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are multiple health benefits to grassfed beef over grainfed beef. Not only is it lower in fat content, it is higher in Omega 3, has a better Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio, and is richer in several vitamins and minerals including antioxidants. It turns our that there is some truth to the old adge, 'You are what you eat'. Our cows have been raised exclusively on grasses from grass-fed momma's milk through their very last meal on the grasses and forage that qualify them to be called grass-fed / grass-finished in the United States.

Here are a few websites that will give you more information about grass-fed and/or grass-finished beef. We are not "certified", but we do follow the practices outlined in both organic and other certification programs whenever possible. Our beef is not USDA inspected. It is however, rigorously inspected by the State of Texas, and as such, we only sell it within the borders of the State of Texas.

• USDA Grass Fed Program for Small and Very Small Producers



• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Labeling Guidelines



• WebMD Grass-fed and Grain-fed Beef Is It Good for You?



• UnderstandingAG - Nutritional Comparisons Between Grass-Fed Beef and Conventional Grain-Fed Beef



• Spruce Eats - What is Angus Beef



• Belted Galloway Society - Statistics on Beltie Beef