How to Reduce Somatic Cells in the Milk Tank

Keeping your dairy cows healthy is the most important way to reduce somatic cell counts.

Somatic cell counts (SCCs), which measure white blood cells, are used to measure the quality of milk. The number of white blood cells increases in the presence of bacteria, such as those which cause mastitis. Mastitis, or inflammation of the udder tissue, is potentially fatal and very costly. High SCCs are costly because regulators reject milk, because of reduced yields from infected cows and the cost of replacing the sickest cows. It should also be noted that somatic cell counts spike immediately after calving, but this increase is not related to an infection.

Instructions

1. Carefully monitor the health of every cow for symptoms of mastitis. Symptoms include udder swelling, redness, heat, pain, and the presence of flakes, clots or pus in the milk.

2. Have infected cows treated by a licensed veterinarian as soon as possible. It is very important to treat infected cows before the infection spreads.

3. Monitor the SCCs of individual cows for signs of sub-clinical mastitis. Cows with sub-clinical mastitis do not exhibit obvious symptoms of infection, but may have SCCs of 250,000 cells/ml or higher. If a cow has a chronically high SCC or frequently suffers from mastitis despite treatment, it may be better to remove the cow from the herd than to allow its milk to taint to the overall supply.

4. Disinfect teats prior to milking. This practice can reduce cases of mastitis by as much as 50 percent. Disinfecting the teats after milking is also helpful in reducing the spread of infection.

5. Closely monitor the state of your milking machines and quickly repair any defects. Issues such as liner slippage or fluctuating vacuum levels can injure a cow's teats and greatly increase the chances of infection.

References

• UK Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: Reducing Somatic Cell Counts