I was interested to see an editorial in the April *Scientific American*, accompanying their article about superbugs. It tells how Denmark's ban in the late 1990's on nontherapeutic antibiotics has turned out *not* to have a very negative impact on swine production. This paper from the Pew Charitable Trusts http://www.saveantibiotics.org/resources/DenmarkExperience.pdf goes into greater detail. Asterisks and italicized comment are mine: The industry responded with "minor changes in animal husbandry, such as more frequent cleaning of housing, improved ventilation, *later weaning*, additional space for animal movement, as well as experimenting with feed quality and additives" and "...swine production has increased by nearly 50 percent since 1992 *(the peak of antimicrobial growth promoters).* In addition, the average number of pigs born per sow has increased (a key indicator of swine health), and the average daily gain of weaners and finishers has increased since the ban." Imagine that! Ruth Piatak, BA, MS La Leche League Leader WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Tulsa, Oklahoma 214-886-1218 (cell) 918-585-9114 (home) [log in to unmask] *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome