CAL NMR Milk Records

Question 1

What is the EU maximum Bactoscan result?

Answer 1

100,000 bacteria/ml

Question 2

Why might the bactoscan result be high? 4

Answer 2

poor teat hygiene
poor milk refrigeration
poor parlour washing
mastitis - clinical or subclinical

Question 3

Why is a high bactoscan result bad? 2

Answer 3

High bacteria levels decrease shelf life and affect ability to produce good quality cheese

Question 4

Define ISCC

Answer 4

Individual Somatic Cell Count

Question 5

How are cows categorised with an IVSCC over 200,000 at the time of the sampling date? 4

Answer 5

New
First
Repeat
Chronic

Question 6

Define New

Answer 6

Not the first milk recording in the lactation but the first with a high ISCC. (ie This cow has just become infected for the first time in this lactation)

Question 7

Define first

Answer 7

Both a High ISCC and the first recording of the lactation. (ie This cow has just calved and has mastitis- she may have calved with mastitis, or got infected very early in lactation)

Question 8

Define repeat

Answer 8

The previous month there was a low ISCC but this is at least the second time the cow has had a high ISCC (ie This is at least the second time this cow has been infected, it is a repeat case)

Question 9

Define chronic

Answer 9

A high ISCC at this recording and the previous milk recording and possibly other recordings. (ie This cow is infected and it has persisted at least one month, in many cases it will have been longer)

Question 10

What 4 things can happen to cows over the dry period in terms of SCC

Answer 10

Low to low
Low to high
High to low
High to high

Question 11

Define low to low

Answer 11

This means the cow had Low ISCC when dried off and it was Low when the cow calved. This is ideal – there has been no sign of infection before or after the dry period

Question 12

Define low to high

Answer 12

The cow had a Low ISCC at dry off but it was High at calving. This cow has got infected during the dry period. Disaster- we need to look at Dry Cow housing and management

Question 13

Define high to low

Answer 13

The cow was infected at dry off, the ISCC was high but by the time it calved the infection had been cleared as the ISCC was low. This is excellent- the dry cow antibiotic therapy may have worked or maybe the cow cleared it spontaneously

Question 14

Define high to high

Answer 14

The cow was infected at dry off and despite any treatment during the dry period was still infected at calving. How would you manage these cows?