Small Town News

Extension to host milk quality dairy field day

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Extension dairy specialists from South Dakota and Minnesota will host a field day on June 24 near Elk-ton.

The primary focus of the field day is milk quality, and the event will take place from 10 a.m. until noon at Crosswinds Jerseys, Inc., located one mile west of Elkton on South Dakota Highway 13. The dairy is located about 12 miles east of Interstate 29 at Exit 127.

The event is free and opento dairy producers, interested members of the public, and industry workers who seek to improve milk quality. To register, call the South Dakota State University Dairy Science Department at 605-688-4116. Registration is encouraged before June 22.

Garcia said a focus on milk quality is crucial.

"Bacteria challenge the udders of dairy cows and when the cow's white blood cells fight these infections, we measure them as somatic cells or SCC because these cells reflect the degree of infection, " said Garcia. "To reduce the SCC levels in a cow or herd, we need to eliminate what triggered their appearance. A clean environment and hygienic milking practices do just that."

Garcia added that while milk with high SCC doesn't represent a direct risk to humans, high SCC counts do suggest pathogenic bacteria that also could be present in milk and potentially pose threats to consumers.

"During the last decade, the South Dakota State University Dairy Science Department has focused its programs on milk quality, " Garcia said. "We did so through multiple Extension publications, programs for dairy employees on hygienic milk harvesting and international programs on milk quality."

Garcia said that improvements have occurred that have benefitted cows and herds, and also increased profits for dairy owners.

"In 2002, South Dakota averaged 343, 000 SCC, and in 2009, that average had fallen to 257, 000 SCC. This milk-quality improvement could have been expected to add an additional 400 pounds of milk per cow, per lactation, " Garcia said. "With approximately 90, 000 cows in the state and milk prices at an average of $13 per 100 pounds during this time period, this milk quality improvement alone may have represented an increase of $4.68 million."

Garcia added that while improvements have been made, more changes are coming to the industry's approach to SCC levels, thus making milk-quality focus more important now and in the future.

"On Oct. I, 2010, the USDA will propose an SCC level of 400, 000 for dairies, " said Garcia. "According to the USDA, nearly one-third of South Dakota dairies still had test days above 500, 000 SCC last year and that is why this sort of training is crucial for all dairy producers."

During the field day, participants will take part in a farm-family discussion and introduction with the dairy's owners, the Temperlis and then listen to presentations on the history of farm. Garcia said the dairy owner's long history of cooperation with the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, and their focus on milk quality, led to them hosting the event. Their dairy consistently tests in the 100, 000 SCC range.

The field day will include several breakout sessions in the dairy barn, parlor and classroom. Topics covered in the dairy barn include environment and bedding management, bedding cultures, dry cow, heifer housing and stall management, cow hygiene scoring and how cow comfort issues relate to milk quality.

Additional sessions include an in-parlor maintenance equipment check, cow preparation, bulk-tank culture interpretation, including a look at individual cow cultures. ? For answers to other questions about the dairy field day, call Garcia at 605-688-5488, or e-mail him at: Alvaro.Garcia@sd state.edu.



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© 2011 Freeman Courier Freeman, South Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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