high bactoscans

[som farmer]

had some way out results in October, cost us our bonus, so we are having a go, monthly reading 168.
So, as this occurred while nml was out, and results were manually typed into e'mails, anyone else had a problem ?
Also same time, transport was having a blip, drivers not pushing wash button, and very random night collections, (not regular time, 11.00 pm)
Really pi##ng us off, as we know we have a problem, somewhere, and if we get a high reading, straight onto it, but as we didn't get our tank results for several pickups (we have every collection test) nml again, we didn't get the problem straight away.
We had this last year, spent £1,000's, and never got to the cause, just settled itself down, if we get a high result, we bomb clean everything, prewash, post dip , tank, plant etc. But nothing to say the cause. This time our vets have contacted someone highly specialised, previously we have used QMN, who are mean't to be good.
But, what surprised me, one of the first things he suggested to do, was install a camera over the tank, even though we are auto sampled ! So if anyone else has had problems, same time as nml were having their problems, please answer. I am certain nml would not guarantee oct results, at the moment, we have agreed November results will not reflect oct, so, only 1 month loss, if we get no satisfaction, I am tempted to ask a solicitor to write to nml, to ask if they stand by oct results. And if they won't, I reckon we should have £1,900 due !!

 

[lazy farmer]

Our bacto for October have been all over the place. Luckily our official results haven’t been too bad so ended the month on 40.
But we have had issues firstly with the tank then with the parlour. So I’m not sure we can blame the driver or nml.
Though having said that we did have two thermo results that I will be talking to MM about next week. One of which was 24000! The follow up test was 480. The first high test also coincided with my neighbour on the same round having a high one too. So perhaps you should ask around others on your load if they have had any issues.

We do normally have a few issues as the bf heads towards the high 5s

 

[Kingofgrass]

Couple of years ago we had strange bacto results,10 one day,50 the next,back down in the teens then shoot up again....and so on! We pulled or hair out for weeks at to what it could be....ended up being the sawdust going from one load to the next load.ended up bagging that load up into dumpy bags for the heifers had a different load and solved the problem.had it tested come back with bactillus in the sawdust

 

[Tsa115]

Ours has been all over the shop in october, very similar readings to you, yesterdays milk was at 51, had an issue with the hot water not hot enough for the tank, but couldt find a pattern with the bacto, just up and down hope its cured now, fingers crossed. Lost alot too tb aswel having to house them seperate and all the palava to upset the routine.

 

[Grassman247]

Neighbour sent me this, it’s no wonder people get rubbish samples when the drivers leave the pot lid open, stick there finger in the pot and overall make a rubbish job of it.

About time every tanker is fitted with in line sampling like fonterra have in nz, you get your sample result on your milk ticket every day

 

[lazy farmer]

View attachment 841551

Neighbour sent me this, it’s no wonder people get rubbish samples when the drivers leave the pot lid open, stick there finger in the pot and overall make a rubbish job of it.

About time every tanker is fitted with in line sampling like fonterra have in nz, you get your sample result on your milk ticket every day

To be fair ours is in line testing. And when nml are working properly we get our results within 20 hrs of the milk being lifted.

 

[som farmer]

Our bacto for October have been all over the place. Luckily our official results haven’t been too bad so ended the month on 40.
But we have had issues firstly with the tank then with the parlour. So I’m not sure we can blame the driver or nml.
Though having said that we did have two thermo results that I will be talking to MM about next week. One of which was 24000! The follow up test was 480. The first high test also coincided with my neighbour on the same round having a high one too. So perhaps you should ask around others on your load if they have had any issues.

We do normally have a few issues as the bf heads towards the high 5s

rattled up mm today, he 'said' he hadn't seen all the questions we wanted answers for, well, if he saw 1 he'd have seen them all. What really shook me, was being told to put a camera to cover bulk tank, this was 1 of the first recommendations that was suggested, if so, what does it say about Gregory's ? Must be some problems with drivers.

 

[som farmer]

To be fair ours is in line testing. And when nml are working properly we get our results within 20 hrs of the milk being lifted.

same as ours, we are every other day. Though they have been erratic in oct. There is, of cause, absolutely no checking the samples are stored at the right temp till tested. If not, it will throw funny, water in milk readings.

 

[Cuthbert]

View attachment 841551

Neighbour sent me this, it’s no wonder people get rubbish samples when the drivers leave the pot lid open, stick there finger in the pot and overall make a rubbish job of it.

About time every tanker is fitted with in line sampling like fonterra have in nz, you get your sample result on your milk ticket every day

Our tanker has inline sampling and we are first pick up and quite often get irregular Bacto cause the tanker isn’t cleaned properly so no real answer to it. You’ll never take human error out especially with folks nowadays.

 

[Scholsey]

I worry about CCTV above the tank that tanker drivers think you don’t trust them and would purposely drop a bogey in the pot off camera.

 

[som farmer]

nothing wrong with instructions, but do all the drivers follow them ? If they don't, it's our problem, and no arguments accepted ! For many years, farming has run on a large amount of mutual trust, and I am not sure it is anymore, we may, but …..
as above, has lorry been cleaned properly, has the sample box been checked for correct temp, has the sample been correctly stored at lab, has the lorry driver followed instructions on fitting sample pot, dropped it first, finger in pot ? right sample result to right farmer ? We rely on this, and with many foreign drivers, or even uk drivers, there is no check on them, but we pay the penalty !

 

[Ducati899]

[/QUOTE]

Our tanker has inline sampling and we are first pick up and quite often get irregular Bacto cause the tanker isn’t cleaned properly so no real answer to it. You’ll never take human error out especially with folks nowadays.

When we were first pickup we had a massive issue with water failures for a couple weeks,lowest fpd reading was 405. Turns out after cleaning the tanker between day and night collection one certain driver was draining the line properly or something

 

[bobk]

Our results used to go haywire when the dairys had too much milk . sent samples for indy testing , no probs .

 

[som farmer]

have been testing our milk privately with qmm, the 4 results show no problem whatsoever, water samples (borehole) both before and after UV fine. NML tests, showing high pshotrobes, QMM virtually 0. I appreciate there may be some differences in how samples are tested, affecting results, QMM are saying our bs is 15-25, nml are saying high 40's and last month 1652 at top !! This is not only expensive, it's driving us mad, what the f## can you do ? Have agreed with qmm, we will take a milk sample every day, and store in fridge, ready to test next high one, we will test our highest cell count cows, to see if any nasties from them, but that should be showing in normal test. I think putting a cctv up, should really not be necessary, and is a direct slur on the milk tanker drivers, but. We went through all this last year, (not all the testing) we had the parlour, and tank, professionaly swabbed, no high readings, plant wash is over kill, air lines very regulary rinsed out, cows pre dip, and post dip. We are putting in a dosatron onto the water, so hypo will help anything there, even if tests are allright. WTF extra can we do ?

 

[applejack]

When I was milking I wasn't overly convinced about the competence of NML and got the distinct impression my milk buyer wasn't either.

 

[Grassman247]

have been testing our milk privately with qmm, the 4 results show no problem whatsoever, water samples (borehole) both before and after UV fine. NML tests, showing high pshotrobes, QMM virtually 0. I appreciate there may be some differences in how samples are tested, affecting results, QMM are saying our bs is 15-25, nml are saying high 40's and last month 1652 at top !! This is not only expensive, it's driving us mad, what the f## can you do ? Have agreed with qmm, we will take a milk sample every day, and store in fridge, ready to test next high one, we will test our highest cell count cows, to see if any nasties from them, but that should be showing in normal test. I think putting a cctv up, should really not be necessary, and is a direct slur on the milk tanker drivers, but. We went through all this last year, (not all the testing) we had the parlour, and tank, professionaly swabbed, no high readings, plant wash is over kill, air lines very regulary rinsed out, cows pre dip, and post dip. We are putting in a dosatron onto the water, so hypo will help anything there, even if tests are allright. WTF extra can we do ?

I’m sorry but I find some drivers have zero sympathy for us farmers yet it is them who dictate what we get paid for our milk, I don’t think they truly understand the importance of correct sampling. We are installing cameras inside and outside the dairy plus laminated instructions. Some of these drivers think because they do night collections they can cut corners.

If we cut corners on any red tractor stuff we are penalised yet at the final hurdle we are let down by the driver.

Totally unacceptable

 

[som farmer]

I’m sorry but I find some drivers have zero sympathy for us farmers yet it is them who dictate what we get paid for our milk, I don’t think they truly understand the importance of correct sampling. We are installing cameras inside and outside the dairy plus laminated instructions. Some of these drivers think because they do night collections they can cut corners.

If we cut corners on any red tractor stuff we are penalised yet at the final hurdle we are let down by the driver.

Totally unacceptable

apparently, all the other pick ups on the round are ok. Talking to our nmr lady, her comment, 'oh we had loads of weird results when we went down'. And yes there are laminated instructions for tank wash, pretty new tank, so not complicated. Talking to Ian Ohnstad, of the dairy group, who is meant to be the man, we are showing no problems at tank, but by the time nml are testing, there are. There is a chance, that it may be coming from a cow, especially as we had the same problem this time last year, till I said we only have about 25 left, of the autumn calvers of last year ,we sold and bought spr calvers. But we will test any high cell cows, to x that of the list, we bought the last box of tetradelta early july, and still have some left, so I have my doubts. Have asked for every day pick-up, Gregory's reply, not a chance, so some harsh words may well be said !!!

 

[lazy farmer]

apparently, all the other pick ups on the round are ok. Talking to our nmr lady, her comment, 'oh we had loads of weird results when we went down'. And yes there are laminated instructions for tank wash, pretty new tank, so not complicated. Talking to Ian Ohnstad, of the dairy group, who is meant to be the man, we are showing no problems at tank, but by the time nml are testing, there are. There is a chance, that it may be coming from a cow, especially as we had the same problem this time last year, till I said we only have about 25 left, of the autumn calvers of last year ,we sold and bought spr calvers. But we will test any high cell cows, to x that of the list, we bought the last box of tetradelta early july, and still have some left, so I have my doubts. Have asked for every day pick-up, Gregory's reply, not a chance, so some harsh words may well be said !!!

Be careful. There isn’t another contract in the area that I would want.

 

[kill]

apparently, all the other pick ups on the round are ok. Talking to our nmr lady, her comment, 'oh we had loads of weird results when we went down'. And yes there are laminated instructions for tank wash, pretty new tank, so not complicated. Talking to Ian Ohnstad, of the dairy group, who is meant to be the man, we are showing no problems at tank, but by the time nml are testing, there are. There is a chance, that it may be coming from a cow, especially as we had the same problem this time last year, till I said we only have about 25 left, of the autumn calvers of last year ,we sold and bought spr calvers. But we will test any high cell cows, to x that of the list, we bought the last box of tetradelta early july, and still have some left, so I have my doubts. Have asked for every day pick-up, Gregory's reply, not a chance, so some harsh words may well be said !!!

Do yourself a favor and after the next collection open up your manual tank valve and have a look at the area it sits in and the rubber seal around the valve itself. Tank can read mega clean on a swab test and still have problems in this area.

 

[som farmer]

Do yourself a favor and after the next collection open up your manual tank valve and have a look at the area it sits in and the rubber seal around the valve itself. Tank can read mega clean on a swab test and still have problems in this area.

done that, every bit on the tank has been checked, all chemical amounts, to make sure everything ok with them, water temp, spot on. What really pi####es us off, yesterdays result 27. The whole job costs us a lot of money, but no-one can give us an answer, they all say 'we can sort this out, use this chemical, or do that'. But nothing has an effect, except in our pockets, even with this round of testing, bacto breakdowns with nml show pshcotrobe , can't spell that, problems, detailed tests with qmm, show none. All the time, our milk buyer is getting cheap milk !