Comparison of the Performance of Pasture-Fed and Indoor-Fed Ruminants: A Literature Dataset on Weight Gain and Carcass Characteristics

Grazing systems, commonly considered less productive than indoor livestock farming, account for most farms and agricultural land worldwide. Beyond feeding livestock, they fulfil essential environmental, economic, and social functions that are particularly relevant to sustainable development in the context of climate change, resource constraints, and population growth. By relying on circular resource use and promoting ecological processes, grazing systems can offset methane emissions from livestock through soil carbon sequestration while preserving biodiversity, maintaining landscapes, and reducing fire risks. In order to assess whether grazing systems are actually less productive than indoor systems, data from comparative trials assessing these two feeding environments published over 40 years were used as the basis for a meta-analysis published in 2014. This analysis showed that animal performance on pasture was equivalent to that indoors, despite the supplementation provided primarily to indoor feeding environments. Given the economic and environmental context and the challenges related to the sustainable development of livestock farming, here, we present this 2014 data to encourage its equitable reuse and contribute to a better overall assessment of grazing in current debates, considering all aspects, including animal performance. Furthermore, supplementing this initial dataset with additional data will lead to an even more comprehensive evaluation of these grass-based livestock systems.