Ethically raised is a holistic approach at Muirhead Family Pastoral, for the animal, land and people.

In daily practice it looks like…

Cattle feeding on native pasture where they can roam, graze, and live in a way that aligns with their natural instincts producing a happy animal that lives well.

Regenerative grazing, soil‑building practices, and low‑impact management protecting biodiversity and restoring the environment rather than depleting it.

Our staff are all trained in low‑stress stock handling. Protecting the animals wellbeing and keeping their natural instincts intact. Cattle are prey animals — when they’re pushed, rushed, or frightened, their bodies flood with stress hormones. Gentle, calm handling avoids that. It keeps their heart rate down, their behaviour steady, and their overall health stronger.

Low‑stress methods also shape the environment they live in. Quiet movement, predictable routines, and respectful distance reduce injuries, prevent panic, and create a herd that trusts its handlers. That trust flows through the whole system: healthier animals, safer people, and cleaner, higher‑quality beef.

Matching stocking rate to carrying capacity means raising only the number of cattle the land can naturally support. When cattle numbers align with what the land can genuinely handle, the whole system strengthens: healthier soil, stronger biodiversity, better water retention, and animals that thrive on real, abundant forage rather than supplements or stressed paddocks.

It’s a quiet kind of respect — for the land, for the animals, and for the future of the farm. It keeps the ecosystem in balance so every part can do what it’s meant to do, naturally and sustainably. :)