We believe in creating the happiest, healthiest lives for all of our animals.
Ethically Raised, Hormone/Anti-biotic Free, Pasture fed, Free-Range
THE BACKSTORY
Cooper's has a long history raising beef cattle. As a kid, Steve's family farm was a finishing lot, feeding hundreds, or even thousands, of cattle on processed grain rations. However, what he remembers the most is the two or three head that his father would take aside and put on a small private pasture behind the house. Like the other cows, they would receive grain, but only a little and it was always of the highest quality. When the cattle needed hay, they got the best hay Cooper's had. These were the animals that were put in the family freezer to feed loved ones.
Steve's Father would always point at the hundreds of cattle in the lot and say, "Those are for making money," and then point to the few select pasture animals (Jethro, Todd, Harry etc...as named by an enthusiastic Steve who never hesitated to remind everyone which cow they were eating at dinner) and say,
"these are the animals for the family."
So, the practise of raising animals on pure pasture during the growing season and fine homegrown hay in the winter with just a taste of high quality grains (less than 1% of the food ration) was instilled in Steve at a young age. He is confident in saying that this system produces the best flavoured meat around, and finds that the small amount of grain improves the flavour and gives the meat just enough fat for beautiful cuts. These findings are why he has adopted this method for raising all of his animals.
Cattle
Our cattle are never fed hormones or antibiotics, are raised on high quality pasture, with a taste of our own corn and plenty of cull vegetables. Steve loves his cows so much, that he rotates their pasture each and every day. You read that correctly: Every Day.
We utilize a fun little fencing technique called 'tumble wheels'; lightweight aluminum 5 point 'stars' that run a line of electric fence through their center. A line of these beauties can literally be rolled across an entire pasture field with one hand. With the tumble wheels, we are able to section off our pasture into small daily strips and move them with ease, keeping the cattle, the pasture, and the farm hands happy. This method is know as Holistic Pasture Management, and leads to exceptionally strong, healthy pastures and animals.
PIGS
The pigs are free-range, pasture raised, antibiotic and hormone free. They have ample space to roam, and their diet is supplemented with leftover cull vegetables, eggs, and a small amount of our own grain for marbling. This results in incredibly flavourful and healthy meat.
The pigs enjoy a unique pasture made up of a combination of open field and forest. This environment is particularly conducive to happy pigs, and on any given day you can see Cooper's hogs enjoying their mud holes, running in the pasture, or relaxing in the shade of the trees.
CHICKENS
Our chickens, like all of our animals, are grass-fed, free range, never fed hormones or antibiotics, pasture raised animals. Their diet is fulfilled primarily by grazing with a small grain supplement each day.
Our chickens live in screened outdoor houses that are pulled to a new piece of pasture every day. This provides them with the space, comfort, and diet they need, while also giving them optimal protection from predators. This means our chickens are healthy, happy animals that live the way nature intends.
Sheep
We raise our sheep exclusively in the summer months to avoid the hard winter months. They are raised on pasture that is moved every couple weeks to ensure they always have fresh grazing ground. Their daily diet is supplemented with a taste of either our own dried corn or spring grain, as well as mineral licks.
Our sheep live with our fluffy herd dogs, Great Pyrenees giants Luke and Beau to ensure their protection from predators of all sizes, and to this day we have never lost an animal.