Buying & Shipping Beef Q&A

We raise premium Angus beef. We run registered Angus bulls on our Angus cows. We've spent three generations building and improving these genetics and feel we produce a premium product. Our ranch is a mostly closed herd, meaning it's a rare case for us to buy cows that were not born on our ranch. Each year we choose the best heifers to replace back into the herd.

Here at the Dot Seven Ranch we are laser-focused on raising high quality, delicious tasting beef that gives our customers the steakhouse experience right at home. Our cattle spend the majority of their life grazing the hills of Sanger, CA. The last 120 days these animals are transitioned slowly to a mixed ration developed by a cattle nutritionist that includes: alfalfa, wheat hay, corn silage, rolled corn, and molasses.

Our family chooses grain finished because we believe the flavor is richer and the marbling is greater. However, since harvesting some animals finished on grass from our ranch, the taste is similar. We recommend you choose based on your own preference or, if you don't know, try some of both!

Short answer, yes. However, anything that we have to give antibiotics to will be sold conventionally (and always after the required withdrawal time has elapsed) and not go into our program. With that said, we feel that antibiotics are not something to be feared. It is our duty as ranchers to treat our cattle if/when they are sick. We work very closely with our veterinarian and have protocols put in place for these cases. Because we take great care of our animals and their nutrition, it is very, very rare that our cattle get sick.

Dot Seven calves are natural and receive no added hormones. Every living thing has hormones but we do not implant our cattle with additional hormones. We feel that there is a sustainability factor to the use of hormones but our girls grow their calves quickly as it is so for our specific ranch we don't use this tool.

No, our beef is not organic. We are organically minded but realize that certification comes at a cost that we would be forced to pass on to the customer. And because there are no scientific studies that show any food is more healthful because it's organic, we choose not to certify.

On the Dot Seven Ranch, nutrition and low-stress handling practices are our main focus. We believe these are the two main things that produce the highest quality beef possible. Cattle have access to fresh water, salt, minerals and care 24/7, 365. When we gather to work the cattle in the corrals we do so quietly and intentionally. We always consider the weather on these days and our start time depends on when the cattle will be most cool. Our cattle know the corrals are not a place to be scared, they learn that we work slowly through the alleys and chute.

For any beef sold by the cut after processing, it must pass USDA inspection. Our beef is USDA inspected (and passed). We use a small family owned locker and feel that this is least stressful for the animals.