Low FPD in milk..

tanker

Member
Out of nowhere we've had a succession of very low FPD tests in our milk in May,we get the occasional one if the parlour hasn't been drained properly but when 503,504 turn up as results we started to jump about.It's not the bulk tank or tank washer,we take pains to drain every drop from the plant and we've decided against it being that since another low result turned up yesterday so we think it has to be the plate cooler even though no water comes out where it shouldn't when we turn the tap on to check.We've bypassed the cooler yesterday and await today's test result to see but I wondered if anybody had experienced problems with plate coolers that were very hard to detect or if it proves not to be the plate cooler if such low numbers can occur naturally?(How much water do these figures equate to is also hard to identify..) Our milk buyer penalises us 20ppl for an FPD 508 or below so given the way the winter's been losing several days milk from a better month is going to be ruinous if we can't sort it out..
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Ive also heard of low fpd when cows are out,mine altered last year when we started with the new parlour,turned out 28litres a day was air locked in the line.

I'd put money on it being your cooler,I have an identical spare so I can swap over if needed.
 

Cowski

Member
Location
South West
I would be very interested in the responses to this as I've been getting some very low fpd tests at calving for the last few years- 509 wouldn't be uncommon but a range from 504 to 518 until they are settled on all grass at the end of March. This would be on fairly high daily volumes 12000+ and sorts itself out without any intervention to cooler or plant and doesn't happen in the autumn when volumes drop right back so I'm convinced there is an effect at turn out or early lactation. Solids at this point about 4.7-5.2bf 3.7-4.2pr urea about 200 scc around 150 bacto 20-30
 

jackrussell101

Member
Mixed Farmer
What about a back flush system in the milking parlour? We have the adf system and it is a nightmare for leaking water sometimes when a solenoid plays up.
 

tanker

Member
No,there's no ADF,and we have bypassed the cooler to see,fingers crossed for tomorrow's result.Interested to hear if low tests in early season are more common than we realise maybe..
 

Cowski

Member
Location
South West
A group of us on the same tanker had problems last summer and it was purely nutritional. mineral balance can affect it.
Did you find out which mineral was causing it? We had been using a bagged dry cow min then bagged milking cow min and ad lib rock salt although pretty bad milk fever at calving
 
Not unknown for a sample squirt straight from a clean dry teat to have low FPD.

All it really means is that the big dairies have have to be more careful about how much enters in their system.

Very little leaves in bottles which isn't near the limit.
 

tanker

Member
Still waiting for a test result post bypassing the plate cooler,latest result from the day before we bypassed it was 506, given that my milk buyer penalises us 20ppl for anything below 509 it's just a little urgent to sort it out..
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
assuming you have a little leaway with your average if only one is under 509 ??
if you have let them know you are having issues , will they be a little more understanding ?
worth asking them to check tanker driver sampling procedures maybe ?
 
Location
East Mids
assuming you have a little leaway with your average if only one is under 509 ??
if you have let them know you are having issues , will they be a little more understanding ?
worth asking them to check tanker driver sampling procedures maybe ?
yeah he might be rinsing the dipper before using it ! :banghead::banghead:

Or..... taking it from the tap at the bottom of the tank (if you have one) which might have a bit of water in it, not from the tank wash but from the first flush at the start of milking, which will end up in the exit pipe.
 

tanker

Member
Not the driver,same regular guy for 2 years now,mixes it well,takes sample from the top and three neighbours on the same lorry have no issues(neither had we till this bout).
Any result 508 or below is penalised,they don't take an average with FPD in our buyer's case so I hope the cooler is the issue or if not it's either the cows(though nothing we're doing this year is different to any other) or I'm at a loss about it.
I wonder is there a way to test to see if it's a herd issue or extraneous water issue...
 
Whilst I appreciate that you need to find the cause of the low FDP's, in the meantime can you avoid , or at least reduce the penalty by dropping some "milk" out via the outlet , before the milk is collected? The water is underneath the milk, if it has had time to settle.
 

tanker

Member
The water is underneath the milk, if it has had time to settle.
That might be worth a try,we're on an A&B contract so it would be cheap litres let out as well so little real cost,(not that the 'A' litres are anything but cheap themselves).Though it comes back to my question a little earlier,if it's a low figure naturally coming from the cow would there be that separation between milk and water?
 

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