In response to requests made by the dairy industry, the government is considering whether to approve the synthetic hormone BST for use in dairy cows. BST increases milk production but also leads to recurring udder inflammation, decreased fertility, and symptoms of stress in cows who receive the hormone. All of these problems can be kept under control with constant veterinary care, but such levels of veterinary help would cost big farms far less per cow than they would small farms.
At the present time milk from cows raised on small farms is safer to drink than milk from cows raised on big farms is the claim most strongly supported by the statements above if the statements are true.