A call that I often get from dairy producers and dealers goes something like this, “Norm, I don’t know what the problem is.

Nothing appears to have changed on the dairy – the milking equipment is running great, cows appear in good condition, the folks in the parlor are doing what they always have done – but even though we have not changed anything, we’ve lost milk production and our somatic cell count (SCC) and bacteria counts have elevated over the last few weeks.”

The saying, “The only thing that stays the same is change,” is probably most pertinent to dairy operations. It takes the execution of hundreds of tasks on a daily basis to operate and manage a dairy operation while maintaining peak performance as it relates to milk quality and herd health. It’s inevitable that the execution of at least one of these tasks is going to change on any given day. Some of these changes can be managed and controlled but many cannot. Some are readily apparent, while some take a little investigation. So when something is wrong but you don’t think anything on the operation has changed, take a moment to step back and think about what has been happening both on and off the dairy. Many times when dairy producers and dealers stress nothing has changed, my response may be, “No, change may be the problem.”

Playing detective
When proper procedures and routine are used in the parlor, we expect the result to always be production of high-quality milk. What happens if our routines and procedures stay the same, but milk production and quality fluctuates? Before the right procedures and routines are abandoned in hopes of a quick fix, consider what other changes are taking place on the dairy. Sometimes variability in the milking parlor is the result of changes in other areas of the dairy. Take some time to ask these few questions to ensure an outside or environmental change isn’t the culprit.

1. Have you had a recent weather event or change?
As the weather fluctuates, so do bacteria levels, teat end health and milk quality. If you’ve seen a recent change in temperature, precipitation or humidity – either up or down – this could have a significant impact on milk quality. In most situations, hot weather, high humidity or greater rainfall result in higher bacteria levels, which can lead to an increase in bacterial challenges on the teat end. During these weather transitions, keep cows cool and dry while taking extra care in the parlor to focus on the premilking routine, ensuring that clean, dry teats are being milked. Transitions from mild to cold conditions will cause the teat skin to dry, and dry teat skin can become rough and cracked. This can increase bacterial growth on the teat tissue and may increase the risk of infections. Changing to a higher emollient teat dip can reduce the stress caused by weather changes.

2. Do you have consistent staffing?
Even though your routines and procedures have stayed the same, the people completing the task often change. Especially on larger dairies where multiple shifts with different people milk cows every day, variation from person to person can influence milk harvest. These subtle changes are often not considered as change, but they can have a great influence on the results obtained. Again, make sure if the environmental conditions have changed, operator routines are reviewed to ensure the goals of herd health and milk quality are met. Encourage proper training, along with refresher courses and feedback for the entire milking team in order to improve consistency and limit variability from one milking to another.

3. Have you changed or serviced your equipment lately?
Parlor equipment comes into direct contact with teat ends to harvest the milk from the teat and provide many other functions that help dairy producers optimize their daily operation, so regular maintenance is critical. Many components of the milking system have wear points similar to other equipment used on dairy farms. It is important to regularly analyze and evaluate the performance of your milking system to ensure your equipment is performing optimally.

If you’ve switched brands or haven’t changed inflation liners as often as recommended, for example, udder health can suffer. Take another look at the system’s operating vacuum levels and other key operating settings to make sure the proper operating specifications are being maintained.

4. Have you changed bedding sources?
Bedding quality can vary from load to load, and variation in quality may also mean varying levels of bacteria. The key is to make sure that it is dry. Bacteria love wet bedding, and high bacteria loads can influence milk quality and udder health.

No matter the bedding source, understand the variability and limitations it can have. For example, sand is a great bedding for cows, but quality can vary depending on where the sand comes from. If the source of the sand creates a higher moisture product, then bedding bacteria counts can rise. If you have changed sand sources prior to a drop in production or milk quality, make sure the new source is dry and not causing abnormally high bacteria counts.

5. Have you added cows or made significant grouping changes?
Overcrowding, dirty stalls and muddy walks to and from the parlor all influence cow comfort and, ultimately, milk quality. Likewise, moving cows from one group to another can cause a drop in milk production and quality for a week or two as cows get acclimated to their new penmates.

Have a plan
Taking a quick, trial-and-error approach to solving a problem may seem like the only available option, but a planned approach to implementing change, when required, will make the results more evident and help you better understand where the original problems occurred. Here are some tips for implementing change:

1. Make changes one at a time.
Making multiple changes at once when troubleshooting an operational or milk quality problem will limit your ability to identify which one is causing the negative results. For example, if you change your premilking procedures and your liner inflation supplier at the same time, how can you identify which change may have made a difference? And what if one change has positive effects and the other has negative ones? By tackling one change at a time you can track progress to determine which change creates positive results.

2. Measure results.
Have a system in place to measure the progress made from the change. You can chart progress in a myriad of ways, including measuring somatic cell counts from one month to the next or charting new infections from week to week.

3. Work with outside sources.
Outside experts can provide information on why milk quality has gone awry. If you think it’s related to your milking equipment, work directly with your local dealer to ensure the parlor is operating properly. Other outside sources, like your veterinarian and nutritionist, can add valuable information as you make adjustments.

Change is inevitable, and the dairy farm is no different. Your job as a manager is to regulate change and identify roadblocks that are hindering the herd’s performance. Before you start rewriting milking procedures, make sure changes outside the parlor aren’t the ones influencing the production of large volumes of high-quality milk. PD

Norm Schuring
Vice President
WestfaliaSurge