Effect of Bovine Somatotropin on Cows
Bovine Somatotropin is a growth hormone that cows naturally produce. Giving cows extra somatotropin increases their milk production and is approved by the FDA, but its use is still controversial. One cause for concern is the well being of the animals being given the hormone.
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Mastitis
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Cows given bovine somatotropin do see an increase in mastitis, but any high producing cow has a higher potential for mastitis. Cows given somatotropin show no statistical difference from cows that genetically produce great quantities of milk.
Body Conditioning Score
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Cows given bovine somatotropin, like other high yielding cows, are prone to low body conditioning scores since much of their caloric intake goes to milk production.
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Fertility
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Cows given somatotropin have reduced fertility rates, which again, is similar to cows who genetically produce high quantities of milk. This is believed to be caused by their lower body conditioning scores.
Multiple Births
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Multiple births in cows are considered high risk pregnancies. Multiple births in cows, like in humans, are considered high risk pregnancies, and somatotropin cows, like other high producing cows, have an increased percentage of multiples. This effect can be avoided if cows are not treated with somatotropin immediately previous to and during conception.
Ketosis
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When bovine somatotropin was given at five times the recommended dosage there was an increase of ketosis--a state where the body is burning fat for energy (in this case body fat) because there are not sufficient carbohydrates available to meet the animal's energy supply. This was not seen with normal dosage when animals were fed properly.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kathleen DeMaster Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Just chaos
