How Is Bovine Somatotropin Good?

Bovine somatotropin (bST) is a growth hormone naturally produced by a cow's pituitary gland and is important for growth, development and all bodily functions. In 1993, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an injectable version of bST to be used to increase milk production in dairy cows. Any new hormone food additive causes controversy, but there are some good points to bST.

  1. Increased Milk Production

    • Bovine somatotropin is thought to increase milk production by increasing the blood supply to the mammary glands. This allows the cow to produce more pounds of milk per pounds of feed, which is more cost efficient to the farmer. According to a study done by Iowa State University, milk production increases by 4.8 to 11.2 lbs. daily, and the milk-per-feed ratio (feed efficiency) increases from 2.7 to 9.3 percent.

    Improved Living Conditions

    • For bST to be effective, the cow must be free of mastitis and disease, and nutritional needs, health services and environmental standards must all be in top form. Studies have shown that farmers implementing the changes necessary prior to beginning a bST regimen notice an increase in milk production before the drug is even given, most likely due to improved living conditions for the cows.

    Reduction in Milk Prices

    • As milk production increases without costing more in overhead, the supply pool increases. This forces farmers and retailers to lower prices to compete with other milk sellers, which is good news for families. The farmers still stand to gain as well by selling increased volume at slightly lower prices rather than lower volume at higher prices.

    Safety

    • All milk contains bST produced naturally by the cow, and milk from treated cows has shown no difference in concentration or content. When ingested orally, bST is digested fully in humans and causes no ill effects. Even when injected, bST is inactive in humans because the bovine growth hormone is different from human growth hormone by more than 30 percent. Milk from treated cows has also been shown to have a higher proportion of unsaturated fat to saturated fat, which makes it a healthier product.

    Small Farm Advantage

    • Smaller-scale dairy farms are able to devote more time and attention per cow, which increases the likelihood of timely bST injections and proper feed and health monitoring. This improves the results of bST treatment, yielding a higher increase in milk production. An increase in milk production per cow means that a family farm can increase the scale of their dairy business by 10 to 15 percent without the expense of additional cows.