Quality Milk Production: Getting to the Next Level
One way to satisfy the increasing demand for your milk and to take the pressure off increasing costs is to reduce SCC.
A 100-cow dairy making 65 lbs/cow/day that would like to increase milk production and get to its first premium at 250K SCC ($.25/cwt, on top of the $20/cwt milk), at a bulk tank SCC of 400k would have a yearly missed bonus of $5,931 and missed milk check of $7,518 for a total of $13,449, with a milk loss of 36,500 lbs.
Assess your situation by linking to University of Kentucky Milk Quality Economic Opportunity Dashboard.
Watch for program announcements for a series of 3 Quality Milk workshops conducted locally starting in early November 2013. CCE of Jefferson and Lewis County in conjunction with the NNY Dairy Institute and Quality Milk Production Services will present workshops with a morning section geared to farms looking for their first quality milk premium and more rigorous afternoon sections for those whose goal to get to the next premium or quality milk level. Both sections will be open to any dairy producer.
This program will be presented in cooperation with CCE associations of Northern New York and Quality Milk Production Service. For more info contact:
Ron Kuck, Dairy Educator, CCE Jefferson County: 315-788-8450, rak76@cornell.edu
Kimberley Morrill, PhD; NNY Dairy Specialist, CCE St. Lawrence:
315-379-9192, kmm434@cornell.edu
Jessica C. Scillieri Smith, DVM; Quality Milk Lab Directo, Canton: 877-645-552,3 jcs385@cornell.edu.