> I wouldn't feed a penny's worth if there wasn't a HUGE benefit.

> One thing is clear, there is no substitute for abundant, diverse natural forage.

Sorry Pete, that is not clear at all.  Why don't you come out and visit
Keith Jarret as he laughs all the way to the bank after he's sold
truckloads of bulk bees in January, reared on sub alone.

What I was talking about was nutrition in relation to health, not as a growth promoter. Livestock producers do all sorts of things to get their animals to put on weight. This has nothing to do with their health, they're going to be slaughtered anyway. I hate to say it, but the way you describe feedlot beekeeping, it sounds very similar. Laughing all the way to the bank, etc. Nothing wrong with that, but it is the same argument they use for feeding growth promoters to animals. 

> Modern beef production relies on use of steroid growth promoters to increase productivity and profitability. Three commonly used steroid growth promoters are trenbolone acetate (TBA), estradiol (17βE2), and melengestrol acetate (MGA). TBA and 17βE2 are administered to cattle via slow-release steroidal implants for steers and heifers, while MGA is administered only to heifers as a feed additive. 

PLB

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