A32-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 19, 1994
Quality Premiums
Mid-Maryland Dairy
Veterinarians, Inc.
FUNKSTOWN, Md. Dairy
men have little control over the
price of milk they receive, but by
obtaining a quality premium they
can maximize the price they
obtain.
Quality premiums usually
involve both bacteria count (mea
surements of sanitation) and
somatic cell count (measurement
of udder health).
In many herds, the premium
for somatic cell counts, can be a
close, but never realized, goal.
The bulk tank somatic cell
level is actually a weighted aver
age of all the individual cow SCC
inputs. By determining which
cows are contributing at what
level, a dairyman and his veteri
narian can make decisions regard
ing the management of these
cows.
Identification of problem cows
is the first step in. reducing bulk
tank SCC. In most herds a small
percentage of cows contribute up
to 50 percent of the total bulk tank
SCC.
In the accompanying table,
four cows are contributing 45 per
cent of the bulk tank SCC. These
four cows are identified as the
major reason for the herd not
obtaining a quality bonus. The
monthly contribution to bulk tank
report is the key to identifying
these cows.
Diagnosing the cause of the
high SCC count in these cows is
the next step.
First examine each quarter, teat
Table 1. B]
Control
Number Milk Fat Pro SCC 2nd Mo. Contribution %
45 58 3.5 3.2 3124 *****
6 58 3.7 3.0 2943 *****
87 55 3.5 2.9 2853
23 85 3.1 2.9 1271
32 86 2 8 2 7 425
3 54 3.6 3.3 538 *****
Cow History
#45 not bred, fresh 2 quarters
6 mo. high SCC almost dry
3 mo. m row from chronic
mastitis
#6 pregnant 8 mos. 1. front teat
tramped 2 mos,
ago
#B7 fresh 1 mo. cmt 3 r. rear treat
milking 90 # strep, ag
#23 fresh 2 mo. milk cmt 2 both
85#; treated 2x, front;
mastitis returns as strep
soon as milk m lank übens
LANCO
I I ttl CONCRETE
WALLS
Agricultural • Commercial • Residential
WE DO SCS WORK - ALL TYPES OF POURED WALLS
• Retaining Walls • Bunker Silos
• Manure Pits (circular or rectangular) • Slatted Floor Deep Pits
• Footers • Flatwork
CONTACT: STEVE PETERSHEIM, JR.
P.O. Box 256, Bird-In-Hand, PA 17505
717-291-4585 • (FAX) 717-291-4686
and its respective milk. Then a
California Mastitus Test (CMT)
should be applied to each quarter.
This information should be
written down for further refer
ence.
Cultures could be taken at this
time to further diagnose the prob
lem. The results of the culture are
to help in decision making, rather
than to determine which drug to
treat with.
Sore teats, abcessed quarters
and many types of mastitis are not
responsive to treatment during the
lactating period.
Deciding how to manage these
cows should be the next step. We
usually divide the cows into four
groups, as follows:
1. Dry-off. Often these cows
are close to drying off and what is
gained by increased milk sold is
lost by not reaching the quality
premium.
2. Culls. A cow that is a long
standing mastitis case or other
wise a problem cow that has lost
her profitability to the herd.
3. Strip. Many types of masti
tis that respond poorly to drug
therapy will respond to frequent
milk out during a 24 hour period.
4. Treatment. The decision to
treat is usually based on how long
the cow has had mastitis and the
likelihood that treatment (based
on the bacteria cultured) will
result in a lowering of the SCC
count.
By acting on these decisions,
the goal of obtaining the desired
somatic cell count can be reached.
Over Cow’s Individual
500,000 Bulk Tank SCC
Management Date
Decision Acted On
Findings
cull
dry off 7/15
strip 7/6 &
7/21
HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.)
In mid October, Kris Green, of
Fayetteville, N.Y., joined the
Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion
Program as a marketing specialist
to handle marketing and promo
tions activities.
Green, originally from Brad
ford County, grew up on her fami
ly’s dairy and poultry farm. From
there she went to Penn State Uni
versity where she earned her
bachelor of science in agricultural
business management. Green was
inspired to bring a true under
standing of milk production to the
marketing arena, an aspect she
believes most marketers lack.
Green worked for the USDA’s
Agricultural Cooperative Service
18.1
15.4
12.5
8.6
3.5
2.7
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Chambersburg, PA Spring Mills, PA Somerset, PA
717-264-3533 814-422-6279 814-445-5555
PDPP Hires Green
As Specialist
Manure Ha ppbnsi
i ■< Mrarii^
/Ov Bodger Northland Inc reserves the right to change
design and specifications of its products without notice
/ or obligation
( J Some equipment displayed in this literature may be
shown with shields removed for photographic purposes
only Never operate equipment without all shields in pla^p
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as an agricultural economist.
While at the USDA, Green com
pleted a master of science from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University.
Most recently, Green worked
as manager of economics and
communications for Dairylea
Cooperative. Green wrote and
edited an award-winning quarterly
magazine and two monthly
newsletters, assisted with market
analysis and reporting, and assist
ed with the writing of reports, res
olutions and the New York-New
Jersey Federal Milk Marketing
Order’s semiannual newsletter.
Eager to return to working with
dairy fanners, Green assumed the
role as marketing specialist with
PDPP in October.
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Strong Steel UnderstriKtare - the steel angle cross members and frame
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Six Apron Speed* ■ apron drive eliminates jaw clutches.
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Hydraulic Drive - assures longer life to the P T.O. and front "V" belt
Seperslkk Deck - 3/4" fir plywood core coated with fiberglass with
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Top looter (optional) - allows (or more uniform spreading and increased
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Utter Pan (optional) * prevents material from falling out below the
beaters and falling over the endgate during transport.
Splitter Valve (optional) - makes it possible to operate both the hydraulic
apron and endgate with only one tractor remote hydraulic circuit.
Endgate (optional) - protects beaters during loading and prevents manure
from resting on the beaters during transport
Influenza
(Continued from Pago A 26)
drop in egg production, or an
unusual mortality, get the birds to a
diagnostic laboratory, and partici
pate in an AI surveillance
program.
Maryland is studying the deve
lopment of an industry indemnity
program financed by commercial
insurance.
Delaware has already estab
lished an industry voluntary inde
mnity program that requires flock
owners to destroy the first two
infected flocks at their own cost
(up to $100,000), followed by all
poultry companies donated $2.5
million on a pro-rata basis for dis
eased birds, with the state picking
up the next $5 million before hav
ing to request aid from the USDA.
In Pennsylvania, the current
program is a voluntary indemnity,
whose contributions can be used to
purchase and destroy small flocks.
USDA plans to survey the live
bird markets twice this flu season.
fit -> Badger Northland Inc.
P.O. Bax 1215
Kaukauna, Wi 54130-7015
Phone: (414) 766-4603
FAX (414) 766-5011
Indemnities