OUR ANIMALS

OUR LIVESTOCK ARE THE HEART AND SOUL OF PURE PASTURES; WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF THIS WOULD WORK. BECAUSE WE RANCH REGENERATIVELY, THE BREEDS OF ANIMALS WE USE ARE VERY IMPORTANT. NOT ALL BREEDS (OR SPECIES) ARE RIGHT FOR A PASTURE BASED, INTENSIVE GRAZING SYSTEM, SO WE ONLY BREED ANIMALS THAT ARE WELL SUITED FOR OUR OPERATION.

Pigs

We have perfected our heritage breed crosses, resulting in a pig that is an easy keeping, foraging machine that is excellent at turning pasture forage in to high quality, delicious pork. Our pigs are all a mix of Hereford, Berkshire, and Mulefoot genetics, making their meat dark, rich, and incredibly marbled. They are the best brush clearers we have on the ranch; we put them in places that are hard to get to, and they get them cleaned out in no time!

Cattle

We have two different breeds of cattle here at Pure Pastures: Red Angus and Corriente/South Poll crosses. Both our herds are genetically predisposed to thrive in the harsh terrain of Texas Hill Country. They are smaller framed, more heat tolerant, and generally have a calm disposition. Since our operation revolves around rebuilding native pastures, they don’t always get the best forages and grasses; not a problem for either of these breeds. They are built tough, which makes them perfect for the Texas Hill Country!

Sheep

The majority of the sheep in our flock are Dorper sheep. We chose this bread because their maintenance is low, and their meat quality is high. Dorpers are “hair sheep” which means instead of wool (which needs to be sheared), they produce hair that sheds naturally. Hair sheep are better suited to hotter climates, and produce excellent, flavorful meat. Since they don’t have wool, they don’t get the strong flavor that some associate with lamb.