AGRICULTURAL
15 | Use of Growth Promotants in Feedlot Cattle
in a mammalian body, namely catechol-
amines and is not antimicrobials or sup-
plement reproductive hormones. Asthma
medications are also beta-agonists. The
name describes what the function of the
product is. Adrenergic means resem-
bling adrenaline and agonist (opposite of
antagonist) it works in a similar manner.
The beta refers to the particular receptor
that it binds to on the muscle cell sur-
face. Adrenaline diverts blood flow from
the digestive organs towards the mus-
cle during the ‘fight of flight’ response.
Similarly, beta-agonists redirect nutrients
so that more growth occurs in the muscle
tissue than in the internal organs and for
fat deposition.
Beta-agonists reduce protein turnover
by an increase in protein deposition and
reduction in muscle breakdown. This
result is an increase in muscle growth
and less fat deposition. The benefit for
the feedlot is an increase in growth rate,
feed efficiency and carcass dressing per-
16
centage. Beta-agonists are fed towards
the end of the feeding period when mus-
cle growth is slowing, fat deposition is
increasing and feed efficiency is dropping
off. A person would have to eat 180 serv-
ings of beef per day of 30 servings of liver
day from cattle administered beta-agonist
in order to get the effect of one hit of asth-
ma medication.
ARE GROWTH PROMOTANTS
NECESSARY IN BEEF PRODUTION?
To answer this question there is an easy
way and a more complex way which
required a ‘mind-shift’. The easy answer
will be to comply with activists who want
to get rid of any odd, new or unnatural
products.
By not using growth promotants the
animals will survive and be also healthy.
However, beef will be produced but it
will be significant less productive and
profitable to the extent that the availability
will decrease or price of beef increase
SENWES SCENARIO | MIND-SHIFT 2019
beyond affordability.
A mind-shift is needed to adopt
technologies to allow beef producers to
continue to provide consumers with safe,
high quality product in the face of rising
feed and land prices while reducing envi-
ronmental implications. As with all refined
technologies, growth promotants will have
to be applied with care and responsibility,
but also with boldness and confidence to
reap the benefit.