Dairy Focus Blog
An assumption is just an assumption
We regularly find that our milking time and farm visits are quite illuminating.
Not only do they allow us to demonstrate and reinforce procedures that have been discussed both at training courses and on the farm, they also allow us to see firsthand what is actually happening on the farm and in the dairy.
Sometimes things aren’t what you think they are going to be, and I was reminded of this at a recent milking time visit.
"Just the person I wanted to talk to!"
Coffee and a slice on a Saturday morning is a bit of ritual for us these days, and my coffee had just arrived when John entered the café.
I have never been to John’s farm, but I had met him a few times over the years at various industry seminars and meetings.
“Just the person I wanted to talk to! You’ll be able to tell me what to do”, John announced.
As I stood up to greet John, our chocolate brownie slice arrived at the table and my wife started to cut it in half (there is way too much sugar in a whole brownie!), whilst John’s wife made her way to a vacant table.
“I’ve been using [Product X] for years to treat my mastitis, and it’s not working any more – what should I be using?”
Blocked air admission holes
It started as just a routine machine test by Rob, but it ended up being a whole lot more important!
He quickly discovered a significant number of blocked claw air admission holes, some even took a bit of scraping with a screwdriver to find the air admission hole!
Paper towel holster/dispenser
We saw this great idea for a paper towel holster/dispenser last week.
Paper towels are always at the ready if needed - every teat that gets washed, gets dried!
It is just one of the protocols put in place that are really making a difference on this farm.
Want more hints on washing & drying?
Here's a link for some hints on easy washing & drying - "Wash & Dry" >>>
An unintended consequence
Cameron* was feeling comfortable.
The expansion plan for the family farm had gone well. He had secured a long term lease on the block next door, added another 50 cows (with plans for more), extended the dairy shed, and employed a labour unit to assist the family on the farm.
The new season had started well. It had been a wet spring, but there had been very little clinical mastitis during calving and the spring, and the farm’s Bulk Milk Cell Count (BMCC) had sat comfortably below 150,000 cells/ml all that time.
But as they moved into summer, things started to come unstuck.
Handy spray can holster
This spray can holster is a really great idea when you are marking lots of cows in busy times of the year like at calving.
Except if you need it for a hospital herd full of mastitis cases, you probably need to look at more than just a spray can holder.........
It is also very handy for your spray bottle of 70% alcohol disinfectant whilst doing a herd strip. (Because you do sterilise your gloves regularly whilst strip testing the herd, don't you?)
Protect your teat spray nozzles
Teat spray nozzles can lead a hard life!
The plastic ends do not cope well with concrete in dairies, they can wear rapidly, and replacement spray guns are not cheap!
A simple method of protecting nozzles with rubber from an old used liner can save the nozzle from the ravages of life in a dairy, significantly extending their lifespan.
Consider these two hints to reduce the risk of mastitis at calving
Spring calving has started and calving is a critical time for mastitis control.
It is a really busy time, but here are two easy-to-implement hints that come at almost zero cost, yet they are likely to have a significant impact!
Read more: Two hints to reduce the risk of mastitis at calving