Levels of mastitis higher than you would have liked? Getting penalised for unsatisfactory cell count results? Or is increased bactoscan holding back farm performance? Our udder health service will offer you the independent advice that your enterprise deserves.
A. Milk Plant Dynamic Testing
During a dynamic test, the milk parlour is being tested during milking while the cows are being milked. At that time, the milk plant is under stress and will behave differently to the static one. Some cows are in full milk-flow, others are finishing milking or some have kicked the units off. During the dynamic test we use one of more vacuum trace recorder devices, which produce graphs similar to an ECG (electro-cardio-gram). This allows us to assess the health of the milk plant.
We shall give your milking plant the attention it deserves, ensuring we uncover underlying issues. We shall test your milk machine using the latest equipment available, we normally connect three Vadia devices in the milk lines, one Vadia and one ATV devices in the pulsation lines.
Some of the issues we examine during a dynamic test:
- Diagnose teat-end damage and assess ACR function
- Check how well the milk pump removes the milk away from the cow
- Decide which are the best liners for your cows
- Assess pre-milking teat preparation
- Identify pulsation issues during milking
B. Milk Plant Static Testing & Bactoscan issues
By law all milk parlours need to have a static test carried out once a year, this is the equivalent of an vehicle MOT. We can test your milk parlour to a BS ISO 6690 standard.
Also, we can test your milk plant during the wash phase and identify any issues that contribute to a high bactoscan.
C. Teat Scoring and Teat Measuring
The workhorse of a dairy farm is the milking parlour and it is the point that the milking cow visits one, two, three or more times a day to deposit the milk she produced. Inadequate milk plant vacuum levels and poor ability to flow milk away from the teat, will have a damaging effect on the cow’s teats. This damage can vary from the teat forming a “callus” or hyperkeratosis to full blown mastitis, and chronic high cell counts. Damaging the teat-end compromises one of the most important defences of the mammary gland against infection, with serious economic and welfare consequences.
We can work in conjunction with your parlour technician and help you decide which is the best milk liners for your cows udder confirmation.