The Milk Producer - February 2011 - (Page 26)

POLICYUPDATE By Sharon Laidlaw and Bill Dimmick Countdown to quality With a new SCC standard now on the horizon, producers have time to settle raw milk quality issues C anadian dairy farmers should act now to reduce their herd’s somatic cell count (SCC) averages while there’s still time, a leading milk quality expert told delegates. Canada’s dairy industry is moving closer to implementing new rules that will lower the SCC threshold to 400,000 from the current 500,000 on Aug. 1, 2012. Producers should ensure their herds are well within those limits to avoid penalties, said Ynte Schukken, director of quality milk production services at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. “Given the variability in bulk tanks and seasonal environmental factors, Canadian dairy farmers should aim for SCCs between 250,000 and 300,000,” he said. “Most healthy cows will produce good quality milk at this level.” SCC is a good indicator of your milk quality and cows’ health, said Schukken. Measured by cells per millilitre, SCC increases when pathogenic bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus are present. The bacteria lead to mastitis, a costly disease for dairy farmers. A healthy cow will have about 50,000 cells per mL of milk, but could vary between 5,000 and 200,000 and still be considered within normal ranges, said Schukken. He noted cell numbers change during lactation stages and increase as cows get older. Dairy farmers really need to shoot for average SCCs around 200,000 to stay safely below the 400,000 level because of variability, said Schukken, who worked with Ontario producers on SCC issues during the 1990s through the University of Guelph. In 26 | February 2011 | MilkPRODUCER Ensure your herd is well within the new 400,000 limit, says Schukken. late summer, for example, average SCCs tend to rise steeply. For some producers, making these changes may lead to some painful and challenging hurdles to reduce bulk tank SCC. “Higher SCCs mean your cows are putting more energy into producing cells instead of producing milk. This increase represents thousands of dollars in losses due to mastitis,” he said. Schukken cautioned against using antibiotics as a quick fix. Rather, he encouraged producers to examine their management protocols and promptly treat new infections when they are initially detected in the herd. “New infections are the driving force … you must control these right away. Producers should aim for a new infection rate of eight per cent or lower. This is a very achievable goal,” he said. There are many other benefits to lowering SCCs besides ensuring highquality milk. For one, milk with a lower SCC results in higher cheese yields and longer fluid milk shelf life, said Schukken. “That’s a big benefit for food processors and retailers because it means they don’t have to replace milk (with a cell count of less than 200,000) until 58 days instead of 21,” he said. As Canadian dairy farmers prepare for lower SCC levels required next year, producers in New York State have been enrolling in a program to help reduce their counts to below the 400,000 threshold within six months. The U.S. maximum SCC level currently sits at 750,000, but the dairy industry there is trying to have it reduced to 400,000, generally regarded as the milk quality standard worldwide. About half of New York’s eligible producers have already signed up, said Schukken. The “400K beat it!” program uses a team approach and has four basic steps, he explained. Here’s how the short-term but intensive plan works: • Step one, a risk-assessment of a farm’s specific situation. The team re- Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) held its annual general meeting recently at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. Sharon Laidlaw and Bill Dimmick file these reports.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - February 2011

The Milk Producer - February 2011
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Industry Roundup
DFC Promotion
Issues Update
Research
Applied Science
Ruminations
Rearing Replacements
Calf Health
Markets
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - February 2011