Mastitis costs to farmers are running at 93 million per annum. The cost to cows in term of pain and suffering are much harder to quantify. Interestingly, a study of organic dairy farms where antibiotics are not routinely used, and where welfare is a priority, shows lower levels of lameness and higher profit margins for the farmer. Cows are now commonly impregnated by artificial insemination. An increasing number are being bred using embryo transfer, a procedure so painful the law requires use of an epidural anaesthetic.
Embryo transfer is used to multiply quickly the 'highest quality' cows.
These cows are given drugs to cause 'superovulation' on a regular basis, so that their oocytes can be retrieved and used for embryo transfer to lower quality surrogate mothers. Some cows are being given epidural injections twice a week when their oocytes are retrieved and this can lead to chronic pain in the tailhead. Return to table of contents BST BST, or Bovine Somatotropin is a genetically engineered version of the cows own growth hormone. It can be injected into into a cow to increase milk yield. Although the EU has banned the sale or use of BST, it has not banned the import of US dairy products from BST treated cows.