Growth stimulating implants for beef cattle are not new.  The oldest commercial one has been around for over 40 years.  A lot of research has proven their safety and effectiveness time and time again, yet farmers fail to take advantage of these.  These compounds stimulate the body’s own glands to  release more of the natural growth hormones.  The compounds in hormones are proteins which cannot be absorbed through the digestive system.  The digestive enzymes will simply break them down into individual amino acids and their affect would be lost.  They must be placed directly into the bloodstream at very small doses over a long period of time.  That’s why we call them implants. The pellets are implanted under the skin of the ear.  Since the ear is discarded and not used for human consumption, any residues from the pellet will not find their way into the human food chain.  Residues in the meat are minuscule.  A consumer would ingest thousands of times more estrogen from one serving of coleslaw than he would get from an 8 oz. steak.  And the implants really do improve growth rates.  In Burke County trials, we’ve consistently gained an extra 30 pounds of beef for each dollar implant.  Not using this technology is costing Burke County producers $20 - $30 on each calf they sale.

Photo:  American Hereford Association