Diagnosis Of Somatic Cell Counts Problems - South Africa

• Document No.

• Audit Title

• Client / Site

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Location
  Address

The Farm

• Person in charge of milking

• Date of last Somatic cells count test

  Date

• Somatic Cell Count Result

• Number of months with results > 250 000

• Remarks/Particular Problems

Maintenance of a Clean,Dry,Comfortable Enviroment

• Sleeping Area

  Housing

  Pasture

• Adequate & Sufficient bedding area

  Suitable surface area/good occupancy

  Slightly Insufficient Surface Area and Good Occupancy

  Insufficient Surface Area And Bad Occupancy

• Maintance Cleaning of Bedding Area

  Clean and Dry

  Average

  Dirty

• Ensure Ventilation system is functioning properly

  Healty

  With Humidity

  Very high Humidity or lack of airflows

• Cow Traffic area Clean and Dry

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cleanliness of Animals

  Clean Legs and Udders

  Clean Udders but Dirty legs and tails

  Dirty Udders

• Ensure that Cows remain standing after milking

• Ensure cows at pasture have Uncontaminated lying areas

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Milking Equipment

• Monitoring regular maintenance by the milk producer

  Made regularly no problems detected

  1 Problem Detected

  More than 1 Problem Detected

• Servicing done by a outside agency

  Every year

  Between 12 and 18 Months

  Every 18 Months or More

• Execution of Repairs

  All

  Not Done or Recurrent Problem

• Change of Rubber Elements

  Every 2500 milkings

  Between 2500 and 3500 milkings

  Every 3500 milkings or more

• Absence of Electric shocks

  Efficient Earthing

  Earthing not Controlled

  No earthing

• Thoroughly wash and sanitize equipment after each milking

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Hygiene Before Milking

• Are employees using cloves

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cleaning of Teats

  Good

  Average

  Bad

• Cleaning of Dirty Udders

  Specific and Efficient Cleaning

  Lack of Efficiency In cleaning

• Pre dip used

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Product used

• Agent

• Telephone

• Yes

  No

  N/A

Hygiene During and After Milking

• Hand Hygiene

  Good

  Average

  Bad

• Strip Cup

  Always on the 4 teats with adapted equipment

  Only on risky cows

  Not Done

• Is CMT test preformed on animals that are suspected to have infections

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Teat Dipping after Milking

  On the whole teat with suitable product

  On teat end or with a product not suitable

  Not Done

• Disinfection of the cluster after milking

  Always Done with suitable product

  Not always done or done with a product not suitable

  Not Done

• Teat condition / Health

  Well hydrated teats ( no chap or cracks )

  Dry and Wrinkly teats

  In bad condition

• Cleaning of the waiting area of the milking parlour

  Cleaning after each Milking

  Cleaning once a Day

  No Cleaning

• Cleanliness of the milking parlor during Milkings

  Kept Clean

  Average

  No cleaning in case of dung

• Lighting of Milking Parlor

  Good

  Average

  Bad

Milking Techniques

• Attachment of teat cups

  Suitable time between teat drying and connection. No air entrance during cluster attachment

  Occasional air entrance during Cluster attachment or taking to long

  Regular air entrance and or taking to long

• Milking atmosphere

  Quiet

  Sufficiently Quiet

  Agitated

• Removal of Cluster

  No air entrance

  Claws pulled of

• End of Milking

  Complete milking without over milking

  Late removal of Clusters

  Over milking or incomplete milking

• Work Organisation

  Suitable for efficient milkiing

  Suitable but can be improved

  Not Suitable

Realization and Analysis of Individual Somatice Cells count

• Somatic Cell Counts

  Each Month on each cow

  Not undertaken Regulary

  Not Undertaken

• New udder infections during dry period

  < 10%

  10 to 20 %

  > 20 %

• Udder infections healing during Dry period

  > 70 %

  50 to 70%

  < 50%

• Sale of Incurable Cows

  Systematically

  Not Systemically

  Never

Treatment of Mastitis

• Frequency of clinical mastitis

  < 20%

  20 to 40%

  > 40%

• Comply to treatment dosage in lactation

  Continuos compliance of the prescription from Vet or notice of product

  Others: self medication or non observance of prescription

• Hygiene during application of the treatment in lactation

  Hygiene in accordance with the good practices

  Non Compliant

• Control of healing after treatment after treatment in lactation

  CMT test, cell counts+ treatment strategy

  Recovery control. Strategy to improve

  No control or no new Intervention

Dry Period

• Drying up Methods

  Drying Up in 1 milking, separation from milking cows teat dipping

  Others

• Treatment Strategy during dry period

  Suitable treatment

  Unique basic treatment for all animals

  No treatment with antibiotics for sick cows

• Hygiene during application of treatment

  Hygiene in accordance to geed Practice

  Non compliance

• Bedding area or dry cows

  Clean dry or on pastures

  Not Clean Regularly

  Dirty animals

• Calving Area

  Clean and Dry

  Average

  Dirty

• Good Practices of Antibiotics

  Hygiene in accordance with the good practices

  Non Compliant

Regular Monitoring of Udder Health Status

• Individual cow SSC program

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cows monitored in high risk periods ( early lactation )

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are bacteriological culture of clinical cases done on a regular bases

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are clinical mastitis rates and distributions regularly calculated paying specific attention to infections in heifers

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are SSC and records of clinical mastitis used to make treatment and marketing decisions

  Yes

  No

  N/A

General

• Notes

• Owner or Manager

  Sign

• Next Visit

  Date