The Seven Habits of Highly Successful Milking Routines

The efficient production and harvest of high quality milk is the goal of most dairy farmers. High quality milk consists of milk that is visually appealing, free of adulteration and meets specific quality standards for somatic cell count (SCC), and bacteria. The highest quality milk usually has a SCC of less than 200,000/ml. Many Wisconsin dairy farms are producing high quality milk. In 1998, approximately 40% of Wisconsin grade A dairy producers had an average SCC of <250,000 for the year (Figure 1).

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