It starts with consumer preference. Iowa State Beef Specialist Dan Loy explains that Americans have acquired a taste for tender beef from young steers and heifers. Most male bulls are neutered at a young to reduce those hormones that cause aggression – and that takes them from a bull to a steer – so they lose their natural hormones. Implants are small compressed pellets containing natural, synthetic or plant-based hormones imbedded into the cow’s ear. Loy says those very small amounts of hormones speed the growth and change the type of growth of cattle.
HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAM – Hormones in Beef (1:30 mp3)
Iowa Beef Center – Understanding Hormone Use in Beef Cattle
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