Poor udder health and mastitis can hinder the productivity of dairy herds and is one of the primary reasons that producers cull cows each year.
Mastitis can affect farmers financially, not only through the cost of mastitis treatments and veterinary services, but also through indirect costs such as discarded milk, reduced milk yield and quality, fertility problems, higher replacement costs, loss of genetic potential and extra labor requirements. Studies estimate that mastitis can cost producers an average of $300 per cow per year.
Because mastitis is frequently subclinical or "hidden," a number of tests have been developed for detecting mastitis. Most tests estimate the somatic cell count (SCC) of a milk sample. All milk contains white blood cells known as leukocytes, which constitute the majority of somatic cells. The cell count for "normal" milk is nearly always less than 200,000 cells/ml (lower for first-lactation cows). Higher counts are considered abnormal and indicate probable infection. Higher counts are also associated with decreased production. Low somatic cell counts in milk are
correlated with higher cheese yields and longer shelf life. Lowering SCC is not a new goal for the dairy industry, as the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service “European Health Certification Program” now requires a 400,000 somatic cell count limit based on a rolling three month average for individual farms. The three-month rolling average means if a farm is above 400,000, it still would be allowed to sell milk for export for four months as long as the dairy was making progress toward reducing the cell count.
The University of Minnesota Extension has come up with a list of management tips for their Quality Count$ program that many producers are regimenting on their farms to lower their counts. This list includes everything from keeping cows clean and dry, running a monthly bulk tank culture, controlling flies, and improving consistency in milking procedures.
But sometimes all it may take is working with your dairy labor. The Alltech Dairy Workers Program, a national program designed to increase the efficiency of the dairy industry’s labor force through bilingual training and education of farm employees, has recently spread its wings into the Midwest.
Jorge Delgado, a third generation dairy farmer from Ecuador, South America, has been working with many farms across Minnesota, Iowa, the Dakotas and Nebraska to improve targeted areas on the dairy that contribute to the overall success of the operation.
Through dairy audits and milking technician schools, Delgado has been able to help assist dairies with issues such as management, milking procedures, and protocol for hygiene and behavior in the parlor that have contributed to decreasing the incidences of mastitis and lowering SCC.
For example, after Jorge put on a dairy audit and milking school for a 600-head operation in Pipestone County, Minnesota, the dairy took their SCC from 600,000 down to 280,000. At a 500-cow dairy in Stearns County, Minnesota, the Alltech Dairy Workers Program assisted with getting their SCC down from 250,000 to 50,000.
Alltech works together with feed companies and producers to improve profitability on their dairies through programs such as the Dairy Workers Program and nutritional applications in the Alltech Dairy Advantage toolbox. If you have any questions about the Alltech Dairy Workers Program or if you would like to set up a visit on your farm, please contact us at: (612) 247-8600
Editor’s Note: This commentary is sponsored by Alltech, Inc. For more information on animal health and nutrition, go to: www.alltech.com
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