An area that many dairies struggle with, especially those using composted manure for bedding is this: Milk quality. It’s a common challenge for somatic cell counts to bounce all over the board when bedding with dried solids, and it requires an elevated level of both stall and parlor management to maintain udder health.

So what does it take to keep somatic cell counts consistently below 100,000 in a dairy facility that beds with composted manure solids?

In this episode, Progressive Dairy podcast host Peggy Coffeen sits down with Scott Blevins, the director of dairy and heifer operations at Wiese Bros. Farms in Greenleaf, Wisconsin, to find out how he does it.

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Season 4, Episode 13

 

Here is a breakdown of the episode:

  • Get to know Scott Blevins. (1:50)
  • Bedding with compost versus sand (7:05)
  • The challenges of bedding with composted manure (8:20)
  • Stall maintenance protocols  (11:35)
  • Why bedding dryness is the key (13:55)
  • Parlor protocols for milk quality (15:10)
  • Identifying the problem pathogen. (21:25)
  • How Scott investigates and attacks a mastitis problem (27:55)
  • The most stressful mastitis-causing organism  (31:55)
  • Managing and motivating employees to produce quality milk (34:25)
  • Key players on the milk quality team (36:25)
  • Tips for other dairy producers for managing composted manure bedding and milk quality (41:45)
  • Rapid Fire Questions (43:40)

Questions for Scott?

Contact him here: hamonblevins20@hotmail.com or 920-371-9028

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