It is the tool to determine milk quality. Defining milk component standards like fat and protein levels and bacterial counts allows homogeneity and thus results in a system that guarantees the maintenance of the high quality demanded by today’s customers. Milk testing is also a necessary step for mastitis control: with data at herd, animal and quarter levels you know the situation on your farm, you have a detailed picture and you can take appropriate remedial action.
Today, in Europe, many tools already exist and these produce a lot of data. On the other hand, old, simple and cheap tests have been forgotten, for instance theCMT test. The main milk testing methods will be described in this article and we will then detail when, why and how often each test should be used. A combination of different tests is useful for farmers as their correct use in a precise routine leads to first class information for mastitis control. In addition, more profitable preventive mastitis management can then be implemented.
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