BULK TANK MILK ANALYSIS - A Tool for Troubleshooting Mastitis and Milk Quality Problems in Dairy Herds

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BULK TANK MILK ANALYSIS - A Tool for
Troubleshooting Mastitis and Milk Quality
Problems in Dairy Herds

• Bhushan Jayarao, MVSc, PhD, MPH
• David Wolfgang, VMD, AABVP
• Ernest Hovingh, DVM
• Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
• The Pennsylvania State University

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Introduction

• To assure milk quality
• ----bulk tank milk periodically tested for

Antibiotic residues
Total number of bacteria
Somatic cells
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Why is BTM analysis attractive ?

• Provides a view of current and potential problems
  in a herd
• Less expensive than quarter milk sampling the
  whole herd
• Less time to obtain results
• Rationale approach to troubleshoot herd with
  multiple milk quality and mastitis related
  problems
• A new approach to managing udder health !!!!!!!!

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Limitations of BTM analysis ?

• Cannot extrapolate information to individual cow
  level.
• For interpretation of results, 3 or more BTM
  samples required.
• Information on herd management practices needed
  to interpret results
• Samples must be held at 4oC and analyzed within
  36 h of collection
• Proper sample collection.
• Interpretation more challenging on large herds.

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Bulk Tank Milk AnalysisFUNDAMENTALS
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A systematic approach to analyzing BTM to assess
raw milk quality and herd udder health

• ONE
• Identify the issue
• Milk Quality?
• Low or no premiums due to high bacterial counts
• Trouble shoot persistent high bacterial counts
• Monitor herd health after expansion
• Education of milkers

Total bacteria
X 1000
60 50 40 30 20 10
Aug Sep Oct Nov
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A systematic approach to analyzing BTM to assess
raw milk quality and herd udder health

• Identify the issue
• Mastitis?
• Consistently high SPC gt20,000 ?
• BTSCC gt 200,000 ?
• Increased incidence of clinical mastitis ?
• Troubleshoot high counts ?
• Buying a whole herd ?
• Low or no premiums ?
• Monitor after herd expansion ?
• Suspect Mycoplasma in herd ?

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• TWO
• When to collect ?
• After 1-2 h of milking
• Milk should preferably represent one milking

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Select the right containers for shipping bulk
tank milk
No ! Nein ! Nem ! Nyet !
YES !
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• THREE
• BTM samples
• Agitate milk for 10 minutes
• Collect 2 ounces of milk from the top of the bulk
  tank using a clean sanitized dipper
• Note temp on the bulk tank
• Label the sample
• Transport sample on ice
• Sampling frequency
• High 1 sample/ day for 4 days
• Medium 3 samples/ week for 2- 4 weeks
• Low 1 sample/ week for 4-8 weeks

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Whats wrong with these pictures ???
No ! Nein ! Nem ! Nyet !
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• FOUR
• How to ship samples ?
• For Mastitis Pathogens
• Freeze samples
• For Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count
• Samples must be shipped on ice containing the
  appropriate preservative
• For Mastitis pathogens and Somatic Cells
• Samples must be shipped on ice
• For Milk Quality
• DO NOT send samples frozen. Samples must be
  shipped on ice
• Why ?
• Frozen samples do not give an accurate picture of
  bacterial counts

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• FIVE
• Somatic Cell Count
• Mastitis pathogens
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus agalactiae
• Mycoplasma
• Coagulase negative Staphylococci
• Environmental Streptococci
• Coliforms
• Gram-negative non-coliform bacteria

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SIX

• Somatic Cells
• Validated flow cytometric technique
• DHIA or similar facility
• Mastitis Pathogens
• NMC recommended protocols
• State Diagnostic Laboratories
• Private Laboratories
• Bacteriological Quality of Milk
• American Public Health Association (SMEDP)
• Milk Cooperative testing facilities
• State Diagnostic Laboratories
• Private Laboratories

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Suggested guidelines for monitoring BTM
Counts Ideal
Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count (BTSCC) lt200,000 cells/ml
Standard Plate Count (SPC) lt5,000 cfu/ml
Preliminary Incubation Count (PIC) lt10,000 cfu/ml
Laboratory Pasteurization Count (LPC) lt100 cfu/ml
Staphylococcus aureus (SA) Not detected (0/4)
Streptococcus agalactiae (SAG) Not detected (0/4)
Mycoplasma Not detected (0/4)
Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CNS) lt500 cfu/ml
Streptococci (SSLO) lt500 cfu/ml
Coliforms (CC) lt50 cfu/ml
Non-coliforms (NC) lt200 cfu/ml
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Somatic Cells
SCC Count
ideal 200,000
4/1 141,000
4/4 225,000
4/8 173,000
4/12 325,000
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BTSCC and Production Loss
Somatic Cell Count Milk Production Loss ()
100,000 0
200,000 2
300,000 4
400,000 6
500,000 8
600,000 10
700,000 12
800,000 14
900,000 16
1,000,000 18
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Contagious Mastitis Pathogens
S.aureus Strep.ag. Mycoplasma
ideal 0/4 0/4 0/4
4/1 - -
4/4 - - -
4/8 - -
4/12 - -
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Contagious mastitis pathogens

• Type of herd
• closed herd, suggests presence of chronic
  infection
• open herd, suggests both the likelihood of newly
  purchased animals bringing in the infection and
  chronically infected cows.
• BTSCC
• High Staph. aureus isolation rate (3/4), BTSCC
  generally ranges from 350,000 - 1000,000 cells/
  ml (most occasions 500,000- 600,000 cells/ml).
• High Strep. agalactiae isolation rate (3/4),
  BTSCC generally ranges from 500,000- 600,000
  cells/ml.
• High Mycoplasma isolation rate (3/4), BTSCC
  variable (200,000- 800,000 cells/ml).

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Environmental Mastitis Pathogens
CNS SSLO Coliforms Non-coliforms
Ideal lt500 lt500 lt50 lt200
4/1 620 620 20 0
4/4 960 240 0 0
4/8 900 520 20 180
4/12 480 1,000 0 20
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Environmental Mastitis Pathogens

• BTSCC
• Streptococci and Strep-like organisms 250,000-
  450,000 cells/ml.
• CNS 350,000 - 500,000 cells/ml
• Coliforms lt300,000 cells/ml
• Non-coliforms No data
• Milking Procedures
• No established milking protocol
• Milking procedures not consistent (varies from
  milker to milker and shift to shift)
• Poor udder surface (clipping or flaming not done)
• Teat and teat ends not thoroughly cleaned
• Milking done on wet teats, or cloth towels reused
  without cleaning
• Farm Hygiene
• Poor bedding or alley/ manure management

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• 
  
  
  
  
  Rating based on
  cfu/ml
• Good Acceptable Concern
  (low) (medium) ( high)
• lt5,000 lt10,000 gt10,000

Standard Plate Count

• SPC of lt1000 cfu /ml is an indication that milk
  is from clean and healthy cows
• SPC of less than 5000 cfu/ml can be achieved
• SPC of lt10,000 can be achieved by most farms

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Standard Plate Count
SPC Count
ideal lt10,000
4/1 1,320
4/4 29,040
4/8 7,360
4/12 1,040

• Failure of water heater
• New Milkers

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Most probable reasons for high SPC

• Improper cleaning
• Strep. agalactiae mastitis
• Cows with soiled udders and teats, dirty
  equipment
• New milkers?
• Inability to cool milk rapidly to less than 4.4 C
  (40oF)
• Failure of water heater
• Failure in sanitation
• Residual water in the lines
• Extremely wet and humid weather/ milking
  conditions

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Preliminary Incubation Count
Rating based on cfu/ml
Good Acceptable Concern (low)
(medium) ( high) lt10,000 lt20,000
gt20,000
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Preliminary Incubation Count
PIC Count
ideal lt10,000
4/1 1,600
4/4 64,000
4/8 14,800
4/12 2,000

• Failure of water heater
• New Milkers

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High PICs

• A high PIC count suggests
• Cleaning and sanitation of the milking system
• Poor udder preparation before milking
• Failure to cool milk rapidly
• Prolonged storage times
• Milking cows with wet teats and teat ends
• Extremely wet and humid conditions

Persistently high PIC counts may require
identifying the organism
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LPC
Unclean milking equipment ? High LPC is most
often seen with persistent cleaning
problems Faulty milking machine or worn out
parts ? Leaky pumps, deteriorated pipe line
gaskets, inflations and other rubber parts, and
milkstone deposits Extremely dirty cows
? Significant levels of contamination from
soiled cows can also contribute to high LPC
Rating based on cfu/ml
Good Acceptable Concern
(low) (medium) ( high)
lt100 lt100- 200 gt 200
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Laboratory Pasteurization Count
LPC Count
ideal lt100
4/1 10
4/4 20
4/8 0
4/12 0
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• Rating based on cfu/ml
• Good Acceptable Concern
• (low) (medium) ( high)
• lt10 lt50 gt50

Coliforms

• Coliform counts gt50 cfu/ml suggest
• 1. Poor milking practices
• 2. Dirty equipment
• 3. Contaminated water
• 4. Dirty milking facilities
• Cows with mastitis?
• Manure?

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Putting it all together !!!

• 50 ml or 2 ounces
• Sterile 2 oz. snap cap vials, 50 ml tubes or
  whirlpack bags
• Freeze sample when testing for mastitis pathogens
• Refrigerate samples when testing for SCC and milk
  quality
• Ship overnight perferably
• Mention on the label
• Analyze for Milk Quality only
• Analyze for Mastitis Only
• Analyze for Milk Quality and Mastitis
• Sampling frequency
• High 1 sample/ day for 4 days
• Medium 3 samples/ week for 2- 4 weeks
• Low 1 sample/ week for 4-8 weeks

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Putting it all together !
SPC gt 10,000
BTSCC gt 200,000

BTSCC lt 200,000

PI lt10,000 PI gt10,000
PI lt10,000 PI gt10,000
Milking practices
Cleaning

Cooling

Mastitis


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