WHY CHAROLAIS ( Char-Lay) CATTLE?
Charolais is one of the oldest beef cattle breeds in the world. It originated in the Charolles and Nieve sections of France. The registration books go back to the 1500's. We selected the breed almost 40 years ago due to its meat quality, its natural leanness and its excellent performance in converting grass into remarkable lean beef. We include some of the breeds history later in this page. For the full story, click on www.charolaisusa.com
. How cattle are managed is important. The following is a brief description of how we do it.
Our cows give birth on clean pastures and the calves are weaned at 7 to 8 months. For the next 8 months the steer calves are grazed in large groups on high quality grass. High quality grass is crucial for producing high quality lean beef. The pastures are over-seeded annually for winter/summer grazing and managed by rotational grazing. Legumes and composted poultry litter provide the natural plant food used for grass production. No chemical fertilizer or pesticides have been applied to our pastures for over 20 years.
Clean water is available in each pasture from pressured fountains. Ponds and streams are fenced to exclude cattle entry. Habitat and woodlands breaks are managed and protected to encourage wildlife.At about 16 months of age, the steers are resorted into equal sized groups and put on our very best pastures.They are grass fed with no grain supplements. To keep our steers tender and tasteful, they are managed to gain about two pounds per day. When drought or bad weather limits pasture quality, we offer free-choice sweet potato by-products blended with fruit pulp. This enhanced feeding program assures that Baldwin steers gain at the proper rate to hit their target weight of 1250-1300 pounds by about 24 months of age.
We promise the following to our customers:
Our beef is minimally processed with no sodium preservatives or additives. Our beef is hormone and antibiotic free.
Our beef is naturally lean, perfect for low-carb and heart healthy diets. We typically meet the saturated fat and cholesterol levels per serving recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA).
Our beef is matchless in quality, value and convenience. It is dry-aged, processed into labeled kitchen-ready cuts, vacuum-sealed, frozen and conveniently boxed.
The Charolais originated in Southeastern France, in the old French provinces of Charolles and neighboring Nievre. Soon after the First World War, a young Mexican industrialist of French name and ancestry, Jean Pugibet, brought some of the French cattle to his ranch in Mexico.
The first Charolais to come into the United States from Mexico are believed to be two bulls, Neptune and Ortolan, which were purchased from Pugibet by the King Ranch in Texas and imported in June 1936. It has been said that no other breed has impacted the North American beef industry so significantly as the introduction of Charolais. Their ability to walk, graze aggressively in warm weather, withstand reasonable cold, and raise heavy calves has drawn special praise from many that have them. Charolais are white or creamy white in color, but the skin carries appreciable pigmentation. The hair coat is usually short in summer but thickens and lengthens in cold weather.
"We are the quality Charolais Beef People—We Guarantee It!" - The Baldwins