Dairy farmers receive important information every day about their herd – via the vat. The volume, protein and fat content reflect the quality of the cows’ diet. And the Bulk Milk Cell Count (BMCC) gives an indication of how many cows have mastitis.

Management that lowers the level of mastitis in herds brings financial rewards through increased milk production and better quality milk.

Rather than just looking at the BMCC figure on a factory report to check whether your herd is in premium, you can use the results to monitor the udder-health of your herd.

Use BMCC to your advantage by:

• Setting a BMCC trigger for your herd

Set a “trigger” that gives early warning of potential problems. A trigger is a bit like the warning light on the dashboard - it tells you something needs checking.

BMCC triggers that can alert you to mastitis problems in your herd are:

• When BMCC results are regularly too high for you to receive premium payments for your milk

• There is a gradual increase in BMCC over a few weeks

• A BMCC result is above the penalty threshold for milk payments

What is most appropriate will depend on the milk quality goals of the farm and the buying standards of the dairy company the farm supplies.

The most appropriate trigger for a farm depends on:
i) the milk quality goals of the farm; and
ii) the buying standards of the receiving dairy company.

• Checking the BMCC trigger regularly

Organise a system that enables the BMCC trigger to be regularly checked on the farm.

A simple graph of BMCC results shows trends better than most people’s memories. If this graph is on a whiteboard in the dairy, and is up-dated every 10 days, it also keeps everyone milking the cows focused on the job of mastitis control.

• Taking action when the trigger ‘goes off’

Like all feedback, information is only useful if it is acted upon. Following-up triggers and taking early action when there IS a problem can save many dollars. Taking action may be as simple as having a meeting with staff on the farm, or getting advice from your field officer or veterinarian.

In herds where the average BMCC for the past six months is above 250,000 cells/mL, the Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines for Mastitis Control strongly recommends seeking professional advice.

So set a BMCC trigger for your farm and take action when it sends a warning signal. Just as it doesn’t make sense to motor on, hoping the warning light will go away, triggers are set to help you avoid costly breakdowns.

Image and caption

“Avoid costly breakdowns – follow-up triggers”

Countdown Downunder Farm Guideline or Technote
Farm Guideline 11.1, 13.1

Keywords
Triggers, BMCC

Word length
381