Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Milk quality and mastitis
Milk quality and mastitis
Table of contents
Milk quality standards
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New DHI mastitis SCC reports
Explanations and definitions of SCC on the 302 Herd Summary. (2.3 MB PDF)
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More EU SCC requirement details
Lowering the SCC requirement to 400,000 means Midwest processors must meet the challenge.
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Can you meet the new 400,000 SCC requirement? How can you tell?
Most important: herd size, season, your present BTSCC average, and milk pickup-to-pickup variation.
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Performance feedback is the breakfast of champions
Systematic tracking cow behavior and performance helps keep cows healthy and productive.
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Minnesota milk quality making progress but not keeping pace
Demand for improved milk quality beyond current milk safety standards is intensifying.
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What a turnaround! And YOU are doing it
An industry-wide milk quality initiative called "Quality Count$." made a difference.
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100,000 SCC in Minnesota: Why not?
Low SCC is essential for competing against other beverages and opening new marketing opportunities. (434 K PDF)
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Why does raw milk quality matter?
Most other major milk producing countries have national BTSCC averages near 200,000.
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Lowering SCC makes cents for you
Estimated mastitis losses in the U.S. dairy industry are 1 billion dollars per year. (218 K PDF)
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The 400,000 SCC limit: now it's for real
Having a lower herd SCC is a win-win to cows, producers and processors, in addition to the improvements in dairy product quality and shelf life for our consumers.
Management practices
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Mastitis effects on reproduction
Mastitis occurrence is associated with reproductive performance. Prolonged interval to first postpartum AI and from calving to conception, increased service per conception.
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March madness & fresh cow mastitis
Sixty percent of new infections occur during the dry period.
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What makes these farms excellent
Ten successful management practices used on dairy farms that have outstanding milk quality. Most dairies are doing many of the "right" things but are not getting them done consistently.
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Fool proof dairy management
Avoid failures that plague dairy farms because of a lack of knowhow or the lack of following protocols.
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Milk quality tips for tough times
Quality Count$ program: Minnesota producers consistently improved SCC quality every year.
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A different look at somatic cell count control
An increased emphasis on ways to better monitor and manage environmental mastitis organisms.
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Minnesota's best milk quality dairies: How do they do it?
A survey was sent to the top 100 Minnesota DHI milk quality dairies to find out.
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How do the Swiss produce the world's best quality milk?
Since 1992, the national average SCC in Switzerland has been just over 100,000.
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Low BTSCC year around? Oh yes you can!
Be a mastitis control freak! Aim for consistency, a very low day-to-day BTSCC variation.
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You can have your cake and eat it too
If farms implemented proven mastitis best practices, why the variation in milk quality?
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Gear up for warm weather mastitis management now
Summer mastitis control, SCC, milk quality
Early prevention
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Mastitis control in first lactation heifers
DHIA Herd Summary report: Why are so many infected within less than 30 days in milk?
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Reproductive performance affected by mastitis and BCS loss during dry period
Factors affecting reproductive ability are physiological, pathological and managerial.
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Udder scald may be more costly than you think
Painful for the cow and a nuisance for milkers. In early lactation, it causes high milk losses.
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Preventing early lactation mastitis
Cows with clinical mastitis before breeding remain open 44 days longer than cows without mastitis.
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Giving dry cow mastitis the boot
Estimated loss of $200/cow/year for average upper Midwest dairy. (547 K PDF)
Identification
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Benchmarking herd SCC
Herd records are critical to helping conquer high SCC problems. Understanding herd SCC dynamics and benchmarking the herd's SCC variables will help.
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Bulk tank culturing
A high correlation: numbers of bacteria in the bulk tank and the number of cows infected.
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Seven steps to reducing mastitis and improving milk quality
Define problem, ID troublemakers, generate possible causes and solution, etc. (310 K PDF)
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How to systematically lower your somatic cell count
Reduce SCC is by focusing on prevention. Consider forming a milk quality team.
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Klebsiella mastitis – its source is more than just the bedding
Sawdust may have gotten a bad rap and Klebsiella bacteria are basically everywhere.
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Time for spring cleaning
Get the bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC) on track. Reduce the causes.
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Mastitis identification diagrams
Diagnostic tests are often run and conclusions drawn with insufficient understanding of all factor. (529 K PDF)
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Interpretation and use of laboratory culture results
Know which mastitis pathogens are infecting the high SCC cows in your herd. (319 K PDF)
Cleanliness
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Manure solids for bedding… Does it work?
Using manure solids for bedding, maintaining a low SCC, takes excellent cow prep, sanitary milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing, and bedding/stall management.
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Good cow hygiene keeps SCC down
Improve the cows' environment in order to reduce levels of lameness and mastitis.
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Cow comfort affects somatic cell counts
Dairy housing that keeps cows clean and dry, reduces environmental pathogens and SCC.
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Bedding and bacteria
Organic and inorganic bedding supports growth of mastitis-causing bacteria differently.
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Summer kicks up somatic cell counts
More humidity and moisture introduces bacteria to the teat causing a potential for higher SCC.
Milking practices
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20 square feet per 100 cows: The most important surface area on a dairy farm
Got your attention, didn't I? What 20 square feet is he talking about? Why is it so important? You'll see!
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Pre-milking teat prep is about more than just mastitis
Bacteria in milk can affect cheese yields, reduce fluid milk shelf life and increase cheese storage losses. Using EXCELLENT pre-milking teat sanitation procedures removes both mastitis and milk spoilage bacteria.
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Who needs cow prep?
You do! Every dairy should optimize pre-milking cow prep to meet milk quality standards.
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Teat end condition matters
The primary physical barrier preventing invasion of mastitis pathogens into the udder.
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Winter teat care: dip but don't drip
When wind chills approach –25 degrees F, preventive measures are in order.
Other milk quality resources we recommend
- Minnesota Quality Count$ program
- Udder health tests and fees – University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
- Udder health resources – University of Wisconsin
- National Mastitis Council
- Milking research and instruction laboratory – University of Wisconsin
- Mastitis control spreadsheet (estimate the financial impact) (57 K XLS) – University of Minnesota
