| Feeding method or production system | Cattle eat from pasture and are not finished on grains and supplements (USDA-AMS, 2009) | Cattle graze on pasture for the first 6 months to a year and finishes at a feedlot of a concentrated mix of corn, soy, grains, and other supplements like hormones and antibiotics (Chung et al., 2018; Drouillard, 2018; MFAFF, 2007) |
| Growth period | Reach the market weight slower than cattle fed on grain due to lesser efficiency of feed conversion ratios of grass (Pethick et al., 2001) | Grows to target slaughter weight a year faster than grass-fed beef cattle (Chung et al., 2018; Drouillard, 2018; MFAFF, 2007) |
| Environment impact | Grass-feeding could increase nitrogen oxidation from manure and leguminous forages (Hayek and Garrett, 2018) | Requires significantly less land and produces less methane per unit of meat produced (Nijdam et al., 2012; Poore and Nemecek, 2018) |
| Animal welfare | Beef cattle are primarily provided with grass and forages that are not supplemented with growth hormones and are raised in their natural environment (USDA-AMS, 2009) | Require the use of frequent antibiotic and growth hormone, located in areas that are prone to heat exhaustion, do not allow the beef cattle to perform natural activities such as grazing or pasturing in rangeland or open pasture (Grandin, 2016) |
| Price | Prices for grass-fed beef are 47% greater by weight than conventional beef or cattle finished on grain diets (Hayek and Garrett, 2018) | Less expensive than grass-fed beef due to larger scale of production (Hayek and Garrett, 2018) |
| Sensory | Steaks from grass-fed cattle are less tender (Sitz et al., 2005); lack beef flavor, and presents off-flavor than grain-fed beef (Duckett et al., 2013) | Similar juiciness between grass-fed and grain-fed beef (Duckett et al., 2013) |