Clean, well-maintained equipment doesn’t just look better but performs better, lasts longer and costs less over time.

Creating a clean environment should always be present on a dairy producer’s mind, for many reasons. There are the obvious reasons like food safety, milk quality, animal welfare and more. But it also paints a better picture for consumers and it’s just a good business strategy.

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.

Although no single disease transmission pathway has been identified for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), one highly probable transmission route is through consuming contaminated water.

When it comes to optimizing animal health in food-producing operations, there are many factors to consider. I have covered several of them in previous articles, such as providing a comfortable and clean environment, excellent nutrition and adequate disease monitoring protocols. 

Water is essential in the cleaning of milking equipment and is often overlooked as an important component in milk quality.

The milking herd at NexGen Dairy is a mature group of cows who have proven themselves in milk production and in overall cow health. Achieving such a distinct herd begins with the calves and the farm’s protocols – starting at birth.