A recent Iowa State University study found that in times of high feed costs, such as the cattle industry experienced in 2007, the positive economic impact of pharmaceutical technologies commonly used in beef production increased from $430 per animal to $524 per head. That's an increase of 22%. The previous study was conducted in 2005.
Dr. John Lawrence, professor of economics at ISU says since most of these pharmaceutical technologies improve feed efficiency and/or increase pounds of gain, it should not be surprising that they have a greater impact during times of high feed costs. While the market price for calves and feeder cattle going into the feedlot has decreased as feed costs have increased, Lawrence said the price decline would have been larger if stocker operations and feedlots did not use efficiency-improving technologies.
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