Herd Health

Frozen teats? Ouch. Elevated somatic cell counts and clinical mastitis? No, thank you. It’s time to prepare your milk quality program for winter.

For many years, it has been my passion to more fully understand and manage robotic milking systems. I have spent countless hours watching animal videos and staring at the computer screen looking at the data robotic systems provide. It has been close to an addiction.

Tired of waiting for mastitis culture results to come back and, when they do, the result is “no growth”?

About 40 percent of clinically abnormal milk samples tested with traditional bacterial culture come back with a “no growth” result, often leaving dairy producers right where they started – with a mastitic cow and no diagnosis for accurate treatment.

Milk quality is always an important issue and, in periods of low milk prices, it can make or break the bank. We all know adherence to a good milking routine, including clean teat ends, proper stimulation, prompt identification of clinical mastitis and accurate treatment are hallmarks of a good milk quality program.

Milk quality means something different for every stakeholder in the dairy industry, according to Brandon Treichler, DVM.

Under current review: SomaDetect

Two dairies that will test-drive a new in-line milk sensor say they are looking to replace their current methods of milk testing and pregnancy checks with more timely information.