Mastitis is always a concern around the dairy, but staying extra vigilant at dry-off and during the dry period is important for preventing clinical infections.

The hospital pen or group is often the most disliked pen on a dairy. These are the cows that have abnormal milk and may or may not be sick. These animals must be isolated and identified so their milk does not enter the milk supply. The better the program for handling these cows, the lower the risk of spreading to the clean cows in the herd.

Every person reading this article likely has some idea of what it means to produce good, quality milk. But consider that milk quality varies depending on the perspective of consumers, processors and farmers.

Nationally, the average 2024 DHI test-day herd SCC was 181,000 cells per milliliter, unchanged from 2023, according to a summary report from the Council of Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) and compared to previous reports from CDCB and the USDA’s Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory.

A farm decides on its own what its milk quality is. Wait, what? That’s right – the choices made daily determine milk quality. High-quality milk doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of intentional decisions in three key areas: 1) the people on the farm, 2) the environment the cows live in and 3) the tools provided to both the employees and the cows to ensure success. Let’s break it down.

Ever since 1894, Minglewood Dairy has upheld a tradition of exceptional care for their cows and land, evolving significantly over the past 130 years.

Klebsiella is a gram-negative bacteria that can cause severe clinical mastitis in dairy cows. If they survive the illness, cows are often culled due to low milk production. This article describes some common ways Klebsiella is transmitted from the environment to teats and strategies on how to prevent Klebsiella mastitis cases on your farm.

The treatment of clinical mastitis has dramatically changed in the approximately 50 years of my veterinary career. The major focus has been on the proper and judicious use of antibiotics in dairy cattle and assuring the public there are no antibiotic residues in the milk supply. 

The parlor is a critical place on a dairy to have productivity and efficiency dialed in 365 days a year. When it comes to leveling up your parlor output, audits are a helpful tool in finding ways to fine-tune and uncover areas for improvement that drive milk harvest success – ultimately impacting the dairy’s bottom line.