Controlling milk somatic cell

count levels
This paper explores the direct connection between
various dairy management issues and their potential
impact on SCC and milk quality.
The somatic cell count (SCC) is important to dairy producers both because
counts that are too high can lead to poor quality or even unsaleable milk and
SCC can be used to monitor mastitis incidence in the herd. In addition, SCC
is frequently used to determine quality payments to dairy producers. While
most people immediately think about mastitis control when tackling an SCC
problem, other aspects of dairy management need to be considered.
Dairymen and milkers need to understand the direct connection between
these various management issues and their potential impact on SCC and
milk quality.

Many mastitis control articles deal with proper milking procedure and
managing existing infections. Controlling mastitis will reduce somatic cell
counts. Basic mastitis control involves maintaining a properly functioning
milking system, milking cows whose teats are clean and dry, attachment
and removal of the milking units with a minimum of air being admitted, and
prompt removal of the milking cluster when the milk flow reaches a low
level.

To develop a comprehensive mastitis management program, producers must

go beyond proper milking procedures and dry and lactating cow treatment. A
number of factors will influence the rate of new infections that will, in turn,
influence the somatic cell count.

Make sure that both cows and waterers are clean.

A dirty environment will lead to a build up of environmental bacteria. High
levels of environmental bacteria will increase chances of opportunistic
udder infections.

Removal of udder hair.

Long udder hair allows dirt, water, and bacteria to accumulate on the udder.
These can enter the liner during milking and lead to mastitis. They may also
enter the bulk milk and contribute to raw milk bacteria counts.

Clean free-stalls.
A common rule-of-thumb is to kneel in the stall beds. If the knees of your
pants aren’t dry when you get up, the stalls aren’t clean enough. In addition,
some bedding sources may harbor large numbers of bacteria. Very fine
powdery forms of bedding tend to support high levels of bacteria growth
because of the large surface area they provide. Green sawdust bedding for
example has frequently been associated with Klebsiella mastitis problems.
Culturing your bedding sources and/or working with local mastitis control
experts can help remove this source of environmental bacteria. Changing
free-stall bedding frequently and using more bedding might also be helpful in
reducing environmental bacterial loads.

Daily checking of dry cows for evidence of clinical mastitis.

Dry cow therapy is much more effective than antibiotic therapy during
lactation.

Clean those dry cow pens.

A cow’s immune function is at its lowest around the time of calving. Make a
habit of kneeling in dry, pre-fresh and calving pens. If you come away with
dirty and/or wet knees, start cleaning more frequently and consider using
more bedding.

Pay special attention to calving pens.

When a cow is calving, both her udder and reproductive tract are open to the
environment. Add in the fact that her immune system isn’t functioning very
well and you will understand why udder and uterine infections are common
at calving. Ideally, every cow should calve in a clean, freshly rebedded pen.

Disinfecting calving pens between cows is even better. The best way to
disinfect a calving stall is to clean it and leave it unbedded and unoccupied
for a day or so. Most disease causing bacteria aren’t able to tolerate
exposure to light, air, and drying conditions. On many dairies, leaving a
calving pen unoccupied for even 24 hours isn’t practical. In these cases,
disinfectants or even hydrated lime can help. Keep in mind that organic
matter (manure & bedding) will reduce the efficacy of your disinfectant, so
you may need to increase disinfectant concentrations. Don’t ignore this idea
because it is difficult to implement, work with your herd veterinarian to
develop a plan that works for you.

Remember that milk let-down and loss of the cervical plug can happen well
before active labor. If your standard protocol is to move cows into the
calving pen when the calf’s feet are visible, you will need to consider the
cleanliness of the pen from which she is moved, also.

Increase cleanliness of milking parlors.

Dirty pulsators and vacuum controllers can malfunction and cause teat-end
damage which will, in turn, lead to increased rates of new infections. Also,
any time liner slips occur, milk and any bacteria present can be propelled
through the teat end into the udder. By maintaining the highest possible
levels of cleanliness, the bacterial load in the milking parlor will be
minimized. This will reduce the chances of infection occurring during the
milking process.

Don’t overlook milking personnel as a possible source of bacterial

contamination that could lead to mastitis. Anyone who works on other
livestock operations should change clothing and wash arms and hands
thoroughly (better yet, shower) before milking your cows. Encouraging
milkers to wear gloves while milking has also been shown to reduce
exposure to bacteria. Remember to encourage the milking crew to change
gloves as soon as they become soiled.

Fresh cow milk held from bulk tank longer.

Milk from fresh cows is generally higher in SCC. Witholding this milk from
your bulk tank can reduce tank SCC, but may not be economically feasible
or practical. In addition, milk from a fresh cow that has no problems will
typically have a cell count of 300,000/ml or less within 5 days of calving
providing she has no infection problems. It is not very practical and tends to
be economically non-viable to hold out milk from fresh cows beyond the
standard 72-96 hours post-calving depending on the dry cow product used.

Consistency among milkers in post-milking teat dip use.

A consistent post-dip program will pay dividends in mastitis control. With
turn-over on dairy crews, it is very easy for milking procedures to change
without management’s knowledge. Many dairies now post standard
operating procedures for the milking crews. It describes how to prep cows,
attach units, remove units and apply post milking teat dip. It also details the
need to wear gloves and when to clean and sanitize the hands. This
approach helps everyone understand what is expected and helps remove
inconsistencies associated with different people and crews.

Consistent dry cow treatment program for all cows.

Dry cow antibiotic treatments are one of the most effective ways to
eliminate existing infections. Treating during the dry period is 80-90%
effective in eliminating infections, while treatment during lactation is only
30-40% effective. This is because antibiotics designed for dry cows can be
formulated to provide higher levels of antibiotic activity over longer periods
of time without worry about milk residue.

When administering dry cow treatments, make sure that teat ends are
thoroughly scrubbed with cotton-alcohol pads. Otherwise, dry cow
treatments can end up introducing large numbers of bacteria into the udder
and causing more harm than good.

Some research has shown benefits in using dry cow treatments on heifers. If
mastitis in fresh heifers is a problem on your herd, discuss antibiotic
treatment of heifers with your veterinarian.

Teat sealant should also be considered as part of dry off treatment

procedures. After the teats have been infused with dry cow antibiotics teat
sealant should be applied to help seal off the teat end to prevent
environmental bacteria from entering during the early dry period.

Solid, consistent nutritional program for springing heifers,

as well as for dry and lactating cows.
Springing heifers should go through the herd pre-fresh program to ensure
proper nutrition prior to calving. A solid nutrition program, with special
attention to vitamin and mineral nutrition, will improve the overall function
of the immune system.

Low stress environment for all cows.

Stressed cows have higher levels of hormones that suppress immune
function in their blood. Good cow comfort, appropriate cow handling
procedures, and sufficient stall, water, and feed space can go a long way
towards reducing the stress levels of a herd. A herd with lower stress levels
will have better immune function