>> >Bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone) is why American cows produce
>> so much more milk.

> I do like to check the factuality of statements posted to the List.

As well you should.  Thanks.

>Annual milk production per cow in Wisconsin... is about 20,000 lbs.
> ... average milk yield in Canada is 9768 kg/lactation ...about 21,500 lbs per year

For the a comparison to be useful, however, all other factors must be equal or 
identified and measurements need to be on the same basis.

The economic incentive in Canada and the US is different.  Canada has a quota
system and controlled (high?) prices.  AFAIK, the US does not.  This will definitely 
influence decisions on what marginal production is economic.

As we have discussed here, it is not that hard to produce a 300 pounds plus average
in bee operations, and we had many boasting that number in Saskatchewan decades
ago, but they all went bust.  The inputs were too costly for the market prices of honey.
Meantime beekeepers with 100 to 150-pound averages survived because they ran lean.

Moreover, a lactation is not an exact period of time.  A year is. I don't know how to 
convert between stats based on the two.

This is not to say your estimates are wrong, but that I suspect there is no easy way 
to know if they are even close.

The way I see it anyhow.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm