More days/mornings off or shorter easier day

[DairyGrazing]

Not got much more to add than what’s already been said but this seems insane? Most farms will be the opposite is there an issue with tracks/paddock entrances? Surely be a potentially huge labour saving in the parlour if you could simplify the routine.

Big simple parlour for me and if most of your staff are approaching retirement get going training some younger lads up sounds like an extra set of hands wouldn’t go a miss.

May sound insane but that is the situation we currently find ourselves. Everything is on sand in the winter what mastitis we do have comes from a narrow passage way shed we are hoping to fit scrapers in to help with the muck and 10 old cows on a straw yard.

I've just put the units on with no prep a couple of times and it saved some time but wasn't blown away. The problem is probably 50% cow flow 50% routine.

Cows, udders and teat ends are visually clean year round. The summer it started we fenced off all the pits and streams. Also restoned the water troughs and electric fenced round trees when its super hot. That all helped but there is still a lingering issue in the summer when it is hot mainly. I think we do have more teat end damage than 10 years ago so we are looking into that.

Only get off the tracks when it get dry and we bring in the silage ground.

As I stated previously used to dry wipe in winter and nothing in summer with no drama, hoping to get back to that!

 

[Farmer Keith]

Cows, udders and teat ends are visually clean year round. The summer it started we fenced off all the pits and streams. Also restoned the water troughs and electric fenced round trees when its super hot. That all helped but there is still a lingering issue in the summer when it is hot mainly. I think we do have more teat end damage than 10 years ago so we are looking into that.

Is it a particular bug? I’m sure we all have flare ups from time to time but that sounds painful, teat end damage sounds a good place to start.

 

[DairyGrazing]

No although, we found salmonella

Is it a particular bug? I’m sure we all have flare ups from time to time but that sounds painful, teat end damage sounds a good place to start.

Try doing some every winter
Staph aureus pre sand 2006
Steph uberis post sand

Never really culled for Mastitis until recently. Now we run an excel script to highlight the ones that we need to barren off.

Have done some in the last couple of summers. It tends to be obscure environmental ones and the odd salmonella. Found Salmonella in a two aborted cows so decided to vaccinate last month.

Looks like teat damage could be the problem because incidence rate appears to be linked to days in milk.

 

[In the pit]

No although, we found salmonella


Try doing some every winter
Staph aureus pre sand 2006
Steph uberis post sand

Never really culled for Mastitis until recently. Now we run an excel script to highlight the ones that we need to barren off.

Have done some in the last couple of summers. It tends to be obscure environmental ones and the odd salmonella. Found Salmonella in a two aborted cows so decided to vaccinate last month.

Looks like teat damage could be the problem because incidence rate appears to be linked to days in milk.

Sounds like parlour not set up properly
Acrs vacuum or pulsators

 

[DairyGrazing]

Sounds like parlour not set up properly
Acrs vacuum or pulsators

Agreed but we've had it tested a couple of times both dynamic and static since the problems began. By different people and it gets the all clear.

So we are going to try setting more associated with x3 settings and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Friesianfan]

Have less cows?

 

[DairyGrazing]

Have less cows?

Yes have considered that but I don't really see it as a viable option. We have a lot to pay for in the next couple of years. Another farm, kids, houses, retirement non working family etc and i'd rather do it with as much milk as sensible.

 

[In the pit]

Agreed but we've had it tested a couple of times both dynamic and static since the problems began. By different people and it gets the all clear.

So we are going to try setting more associated with x3 settings and see if that makes a difference.

Static and dynamic tests aren't worth the paper there written on

 

[Cows 'n grass]

Agreed but we've had it tested a couple of times both dynamic and static since the problems began. By different people and it gets the all clear.

So we are going to try setting more associated with x3 settings and see if that makes a difference.

I've done that this year. I can't remember the figures but we upped the flow rate and lowered the delay on the ACRs over winter.

The units are coming off considerably sooner which has definitely improved year ends and sped up milking. I'm so used to cows being 100% milked out that that I find it a bit uncomfortable seeing them come off with milk still flowing but I'm running a SCC of 100 at the moment Vs 200+ this time last year.

 

[In the pit]

I've done that this year. I can't remember the figures but we upped the flow rate and lowered the delay on the ACRs over winter.

The units are coming off considerably sooner which has definitely improved year ends and sped up milking. I'm so used to cows being 100% milked out that that I find it a bit uncomfortable seeing them come off with milk still flowing but I'm running a SCC of 100 at the moment Vs 200+ this time last year.

New Zealand did research to have units coming off at .700 and found better tests and scc and no loss of milk over the lactation
The one thing that makes me laugh is when they set a acr to come off at .500 and then have a 30 second delay before the acr actually pulls off

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I've done that this year. I can't remember the figures but we upped the flow rate and lowered the delay on the ACRs over winter.

The units are coming off considerably sooner which has definitely improved year ends and sped up milking. I'm so used to cows being 100% milked out that that I find it a bit uncomfortable seeing them come off with milk still flowing but I'm running a SCC of 100 at the moment Vs 200+ this time last year.

Almost Max T milking