Using On Farm Culturing To Improve Mastitis Treatment

Apr 06, 2016

In spite of considerable improvements in milk quality, mastitis continues to be the most frequent and costly disease of dairy cows. The use of on farm culturing to direct treatment of clinical mastitis gives farmers the opportunity to make better treatment decisions and reduce costs associated with milk discard and treatment of microbiologically negative cases.

UW-Extension Milk Quality Veterinarian Pam Ruegg has developed a series to guide individuals Using On Farm Culturing to Improve Mastitis Treatment. Watch videos, download guides and submit questions to Ask the Expert.

The newest edition to the Using on Farm Culturing to Improve Mastitis Treatment Series is the Using on Farm Culturing to Improve Mastitis Treatment Guides, available in English and Spanish:

Volume 1: How to get started and collect sterile milk samples (Spanish Version)
Volume 2: How to set up, read and interpret culture plates (Spanish Version)

The guides were developed to compliment the video series.

UW-Milk Quality promotes an integrated, team-based approach to best manage udder health and milk quality. Producing high quality milk is not a one-person job. It takes farmers and their local dairy advisors to be able to evaluate, manage and improve milk quality. At UW-Milk Quality, we develop tools and resources to help dairy producers meet their milk quality goals and increase farm profitability.

Source: uwex.edu

Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.