There will be the cost of purchasing the hormone. Then, there will be the added costs of keeping the cows fit. This is because some studies suggest that cows treated with the hormone suffer more health problems than untreated cows. Also, there will be the cost of replacing their herd more frequently. Elsa and John also have to decide if consumers will want their milk.
Many studies say that the milk from treated cows is perfectly safe.
The government also runs an inspection program for milk to make sure that it is safe. Even so, some people are concerned that the milk may contain trace amounts of the hormone. They also fear that the milk may be tainted by the extra doses of antibiotic drugs these cows need to stay healthy. Some people are against the development of products like BGH because they say that in the long run it will hurt family farms like Elsa and John's. Large corporate farms can afford the added costs of using BGH, but smaller ones cannot and may be pushed out of business.