Feed

Beef farmers usually produce the roughage for their beef cattle themselves, in the form of grass and fodder maize. Together with so-called concentrate, in the form of compressed pellets, these form the main constituent components of the feed that given to beef cattle. Also added are minerals together with moist food industry by-products such as from beer, compressed beet pulp and a variety of potato by-products. They are supplied by specialist feed suppliers recognised for Good Manufacturing Practice Plus (GMP Plus). The GMP-Plus code is based on ISO-9001 and meets the requirements of the HACCP quality system.

During the earliest phase of their lives calves at first receive only milk, then later hay and pellets. Later still grass and maize also follow. From the time a cow bears a calf and starts actually producing milk, the feed ration is geared toward its individual requirement.

Veterinary medicines in feed
There are no antibiotics in beef cattle feed. The Animal Feeds Framework Act contains requirements the animal feed must satisfy and regulations governing the responsibilities of the government and the business community. The Animal Feeds Framework Act is European legislation, translated into Dutch regulations. The Animal Feeds Framework Act came into effect on 18 October 2004 (more info: www.minlnv.nl).