Human behavior can be challenging to change once habits are established. This might be one of the reasons some employers prefer to hire new, inexperienced employees, as compared to those who may bring previously learned bad habits to the job.

During a producer roundtable at the National Mastitis Council annual meeting, Jan. 27-30, in Charlotte, North Carolina, three dairymen defined the ways they achieve low somatic cell counts (SCC) with farm protocols, training and implementing new technologies. 

Milk cultures are a powerful tool in managing mastitis, offering insights into which pathogens are affecting your herd. Understanding whether infections stem from environmental or contagious organisms can help guide crucial decisions.

Bimodality can strongly impact both milk production and cow health. Let’s examine its impact on dairy farm performance and outline strategies to effectively reduce its occurrence.

We, as dairy caretakers, often feel an immediate need to do something in response to seeing abnormal milk. However, it may be more prudent to pause, take a strategic step back and weigh the options before proceeding with blanket treatment for all clinical mastitis cases.

There is no doubt that the use of routine culture for mastitis pathogens, both contagious and environmental, is a powerful management tool for maintaining good udder health and milk quality in progressive dairy herds.