Welfare effects of the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin in the USA

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard C Losinger
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Market Price ◽  
Welfare Effects ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Economic Surplus ◽  
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
The Usa

The welfare effects of increased milk production associated with the use of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) on dairy operations in the USA were examined for 1996. Results that derived from three different estimates of the milk-production response to rBST were evaluated and compared. One estimate, derived from a survey of dairy producers in Connecticut, led to economic-impact estimates that were not statistically significant. A second, derived from a national survey that concentrated on the health and management of dairy cattle, led to estimates that were unbelievably high. A third, derived from a national survey that concentrated on the economics of dairy producers, provided the most reasonable estimates of economic impacts. Results of economic analysis, using the latter results, indicated that if rBST had not caused milk production to increase, then the market price of milk would have been 2·2±1·5 cents/kg higher, and the total value of the milk produced would have risen from $23·0±0·6 billion to $24·1±1·0 billion. A welfare analysis demonstrated that the increased milk production (and the reduced market price) associated with the use of rBST in the USA caused the economic surplus of consumers to rise by $1·5±1·0 billion, while the economic surplus of dairy producers fell by $1·1±$0·8 billion. Increased milk production associated with rBST yielded a total gain to the US economy of $440±280 million. An analysis of annual percent changes in the number of dairy cows per operation, milk production per cow, total milk production, total number of dairy cows, and total number of dairy operations in the USA suggested that the dairy industry's long-term economic growth path was stable from 1989–2001 inclusive, and did not receive a shock resulting from the introduction of rBST.

Economic impacts of reduced milk production associated with papillomatous digital dermatitis in dairy cows in the USA

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard C Losinger
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Consumer Surplus ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Digital Dermatitis ◽  
Economic Surplus ◽  
The Usa

The goal of this study was to measure the economic impacts of reduced milk production associated with papillomatous digital dermatitis (PDD) in dairy cows in the USA, and of specific risk factors for PDD, in 1996. The method applied was an economic-welfare analysis of producer and consumer surplus, with the GUM Workbench used to analyse uncertainties in the measurements. Reduced milk production associated with PDD was found to reduce consumer surplus by $750 million±$580 million, and to increase the economic surplus of producers by $560 million±$470 million, with a net economic loss of $190 million±$130 million. An examination of the economic effects of specific epidemiologic risk factors for PDD showed that having dairy cows that were not born on the operation had important economic consequences associated with the disease, as did the type of land to which dairy cows had access during the winter months and the type of flooring on which cows walked. Washing hoof-trimming equipment between cows was an important biosecurity measure that was associated with reduced PDD. The epidemiologic model used also implicated hoof trimmers who trimmed cattle hooves on other operations as having an important economic impact associated with this disease, although this finding may have been erroneous.

scholarly journals Response to Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin in Dairy Cows with Different Genetic Merit for Milk Production

1990 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 784-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Nytes ◽  
D.K. Combs ◽  
G.E. Shook ◽  
R.D. Shaver ◽  
R.M. Cleale
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Genetic Merit ◽  
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin

Welfare effects of reduced milk production associated with Johne's disease on Johne's-positive versus Johne's-negative dairy operations

2006 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willard C Losinger
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Welfare Effects ◽  
Johne's Disease ◽  
Johne’S Disease ◽  
Economic Surplus ◽  
Producer Surplus ◽  
Epidemiological Risk ◽  
Positive Effect

An examination of the economic impacts of reduced milk production associated with Johne's disease on Johne's-positive and Johne's-negative dairy operations indicated that, if Johne's disease had not existed in US dairy cows in 1996, then the economic surplus of Johne's-negative operations would have been $600 million±$530 million lower, while the economic surplus of Johne's-positive operations would have been higher by $28 million±$79 million, which was not significantly different from zero. The data available for projecting changes in surplus were not sufficiently precise to allow an exact statement on whether Johne's-positive operations would have been better or worse off economically, in terms of the value received for producing more milk if they had not been affected by Johne's disease. The changes in producer surplus, based upon eliminating specific epidemiological risk factors for Johne's disease, were disaggregated between Johne's-positive dairy operations exposed to the risk factor and all other US dairy operations. Eliminating the risk factor of having any cows not born on the operation would have had a significant positive effect on the economic surplus of Johne's-positive operations that had any cows not born on the operation.

scholarly journals Effects of dietary fat supplementation and recombinant bovine somatotropin on milk production, nutritional status and lipid metabolism of dairy cows

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 633-649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno J. Marty ◽  
Elliot Block
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dietary Fat ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Fat Supplementation ◽  
Plasma Urea ◽  
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Animal Fat ◽  
Production Parameters

Sixty dairy cows were used to evaluate the effect on performance, metabolism and liver function of adding dietary fat during early lactation (weeks 3–15 postpartum) and injecting recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) over the entire lactation. Fat was added to an 18% protein concentrate that was offered in a 1:1 ratio of haylage:concentrate and fed as a total mixed ration. Corn in the control (CRT) concentrate was exchanged for either 2.5% animal fat (AFA), 2.5% Megalac™ calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) (ML1), 2.5% Purina CSFA (RP1) or 5% Purina CSFA (RP2). RbST treatment consisted of a subcutaneous injection of either a placebo, 10.3 mg rbST daily or 350 mg rbST every 14 d. Fat-corrected milk production was higher (P < 0.05) in RP2-fed cows than CTR-fed cows and higher for cows injected with rbST daily than in those injected biweekly. Plasma-urea nitrogen and insulin concentrations were lower in RP2-fed cows than in CTR-fed cows and were also lower in rbST-injected cows than in placebo-injected cows (P < 0.05). Plasma triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol concentrations, but not non-esterified fatty acid and phospholipid concentrations, were higher (P < 0.05) in RP2-fed cows than in CTR-fed cows. CSFA supplementation increased C16:0 of the plasma TG fraction and decreased that of C18:0. Dietary fat supplementation did not affect hepatic lipid composition, but liver-TG concentration increased (P < 0.05) with rbST injections. Dietary fat supplementation together with somatotropin injections did not change production parameters from those found with fat supplementation or somatotropin alone. Key words: Dietary fat, dairy cows, bovine somatotropin, lipids

Recombinant bovine somatotropin: association with reproductive performance in dairy cows

1999 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 481-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.J. Judge ◽  
P.C. Bartlett ◽  
J.W. Lloyd ◽  
R.J. Erskine
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin

Effects of cooling and supplemental recombinant bovine somatotropin on diet digestibility, digestion kinetics and milk production of cross-bred Holstein cattle in the tropics

2009 ◽  
Vol 148 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. CHANCHAI ◽  
S. CHANPONGSANG ◽  
N. CHAIYABUTR
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Feed Utilization ◽  
Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Holstein Cattle ◽  
Passage Rate ◽  
Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Digesta Passage ◽  
Digestion Kinetics

SUMMARYThe aim of the current study was to determine how cooling and supplemental recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) affect body function with respect to digestion kinetics, digestibility and other variables relevant to milk production in cross-bred Holstein cattle. Ten primiparous cross-bred dairy cattle (0·875 Holstein Friesian×0·125 Red Shindi) were used and divided into two groups of five animals each that were housed in a normal shaded barn (NS barn; non-cooled cows) and in a shaded barn with mist-fan cooling (MF; cooled cows). The cows in each group were supplemented with rbST in early, mid and late stages of lactation with three consecutive subcutaneous injections of 500 mg rbST every 14 days. All cows were fed the same total mixed ration twice daily at approximately 1·1 of assumed ad libitum intake and water was offered ad libitum. During the experimental periods, values of ambient temperatures and temperature humidity index (THI) in the NS barn were significantly higher than in the MF barn, whereas the relative humidity in the MF barn was significantly higher than in the NS barn (P<0·01). The respiration rate and rectal temperature were significantly higher for non-cooled cows than for cooled cows during the daytime whether there was or was not rbST supplementation. Supplementation of rbST for either cooled or non-cooled cows significantly increased dry matter intake (DMI), the efficiency of feed utilization and milk yields (P<0·05). Digesta kinetics using chromic oxide as an external marker showed a high digesta passage rate constant and low mean retention time of digesta in cows either by cooling or supplementation of rbST, whereas no changes were seen for the digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF). The half-time of Cr2O3 in the whole digestive tract of cooled cows was lower than those of non-cooled cows and significantly decreased (P<0·05) during rbST supplementation in both groups in all stages of lactation. The magnitude of responses for the digesta passage rate and efficiency of feed utilization were larger in animals supplemented with rbST than in animals under MF cooling only.The main effect of cooling and supplemental rbST was to improve digestion by an increase in the rate of passage of digesta and in turn an increase in feed intake. Digestibility was not influenced by changes in passage rate of digesta either by cooling or rbST supplementation. Milk production in response to rbST supplementation is probably enhanced with cooling. The increased milk production induced by rbST supplementation was mediated by increased efficiency of feed utilization without changes in diet digestibility.

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