Milk quality self assessment test

1. Which BTSCC range best represents your average over the past 6 months?

• > 500,000
• 400-499,000
• 300-399,000
• 200-299,000
• < 200,000

2. Which level of clinical mastitis best represents your current monthly rate? (average # CM/month / average # lactating cows x 100 = % CM/ month)

• 5% or greater
• 3-4.9%
• 2-2.9%
• 1-1.9%
• < 1%

3. How frequently do you remove udder hair?

• Do not remove
• Annually
• Every 6 months
• Every 3 months

4. How frequently do you groom/clean and remove soiled bedding from your stalls?

• Weekly
• 3 times/week
• Daily
• Every milking

5.To what degree do you use antibiotic dry cow treatment?

• Do not use
• On only selected cows
• On all quarters of all cows

6. To what degree do you use teat sealer for dry cows?

• Do not use
• Use external sealer
• Use internal sealer

7. How often do you observe dry cows for mastitis?

• At calving only
• Monthly
• Weekly
• Daily
• At each milking

8. How often do you clean maternity pens?

• After more than 5 calves
• After 2-3 calves
• Between each calf

9. How often do you add fresh bedding to maternity pens?

• After more than 5 calves
• After 2-3 calves
• Between each calf

10. Do you use a quarter milker to divert milk from high SCC quarters away from the bulk tank?

• Do not use quarter milker
• From high SCC chronic quarters
• From any CMT positive quarter

11. Which of these two options best represents your approach to milking?

• Milking quickly is more important than milking details
• Attending to specific milking details is more important than completing the task quickly

12. To what degree do you use fore-stripping?

• I do not use fore-stripping
• I use fore-stripping to check for clinical mastitis and stimulate milk letdown

13. How long do your milkers prep udders before milking?

• < 7 seconds
• 7-10 seconds
• Teat prep 10-20 seconds with no emphasis on teat end
• Teat prep 10-20 seconds including teat end cleaning

14. How often do your milkers achieve complete pre-dip teat coverage of disinfectant before milking?

• Don't use pre-dip
• Seldom
• Sometimes
• Most of the time
• Always

15. How often do your milkers achieve complete post-dip teat coverage of disinfectant after milking?

• Don't use post-dip
• Seldom
• Sometimes
• Most of the time
• Always

16. How often do you have a complete performance check on your milking equipment?

• When needed
• Annually
• Every 6 months
• Every 3 months

17. To what degree do you/farm employees keep abreast of current milking and mastitis control practices?

• Do not find it necessary
• Employees do but I do not
• I do but employees do not
• My employees and I keep updated

18. Do you use individual cow SCC testing?

• Do not use
• Use every other month or quarterly
• Use monthly

19. Do you use bulk tank or individual cow culturing to identify mastitis pathogens?

• Do not use
• Use only when necessary to solve problem
• Use culturing routinely

20. To what extent do you seek advice from veterinarians and/or milk quality specialists regarding issues related to mastitis and milk quality?

• I rarely seek advice (only when problems occur)
• I sometimes seek advice
• I often seek advice