Milking Practices to Reduce Mastitis
Risk and Reduce Your Frustration
"Fitting it all in a 'days' work"
What is Happening...
"Best Milking Practices"
Offered By:
Penn State Cooperative Extension
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (note: program will start at 9:30 a.m. sharp - if late milking still join us)
Register By: 1-week before workshop date
Description:
There is not necessarily one right way to milk cows. However, there is often a best way based on milking facilities, people, and preferences. In addition, the parts of the milking process should be done a certain way and for specific and science-based reasons. Milking practices should be consistent - same way every milking and every day. Cows like consistency which affects their well-being, risk of mastitis, and milking speed. These are all things important to the cow. However, good cow well-being, low mastitis risk, and steady milking likely also reduce your frustration (a.k.a. greater 'happiness').
This hands-on workshop will reinforce 'best milking practices' including cow milking stimulation and essentials of milk let-down. Equipment to demonstrate impact of prepping practices on milk flow will be used to validate (convince you?) that 'best milking practices' - prepping practices that match intended purpose and gentle cow handling - are important to milk let-down and milking speed.
Agenda:
9:00 to 9:30: Registration
9:30 to 11:00: Best Milking Practices
Anatomy, Purpose of Each Task and Fitting it All Together
11:00 to 11:30: Impact of Milking Practices on Teat Health
11:30 to 12:00: How Prepping Affects Milk Flow
12:00 to 12:30: Lunch
12:30 to 1:00: Travel to Farm
1:00 to 2:30: On-Farm Milking Practices and 'Practice Concepts Learned'
Please note the afternoon session wil be on-farm. Please bring proper footwear that can be sanitized for biosecurity reasons, as well as, warm and clean clothing. We will provide plastic boots for additional protection on-farm.
You are a producer and you or your employees milk in a stall barn or a smaller parlor.
We will spend a lot of time talking about things you do that affect time of detaching. These concepts apply to manual detach, stall barns with detachers or end of milking indicators, and small parlors - less than double-10 with or without detachers (yes there are some - honest :-)).
Producer Fee: $10/person
Producer is responsible for this cost to attend
Producer Sponsor Fee: $20/person
We are requesting that each producer be 'sponsored' by one of their milk quality advisors. This might be your veterinarian, nutritionist, lender, dairy supply company, milk plant inspector, milking equipment dealership, or DHI technician. As a producer, please talk with us if you feel this will prevent you from attending.
Note: The Producer Sponsor Fee is an additional fee that is part of the cost for a producer to attend. It is not intended to replace the producer fee. Please ask if you have questions. As an advisor, if you want more details about sponsoring a client or clients who you feel will benefit and use workshop information, please contact an educator listed below.
Logistics...
Workshop Dates, Educator Contact, and Locations:
Tuesday January 19, 2010: Central Pennsylvania - Blair County
Educator Contact: Amber Yutzy - Dairy Herd Health Educator - Central Region
Phone: 814-643-1660
Fax: 814-643-1669
E-mail: anl113@psu.edu
Workshop Location: Martinsburg, PA
Wednesday January 20, 2010: Northeastern Pennsylvania - Tioga County
Educator Contact: Craig Williams - Dairy Extension Educator - Northeast Region
Phone: 570-724-9120
Fax: 570-724-9120
E-mail: jcw17@psu.edu
Workshop Location: Middlebury Center, PA
Thursday January 21, 2010: Central Pennsylvania - Juniata County
Educator Contact: Amber Yutzy - Dairy Herd Health Educator
Wednesday Feb 17, 2010: Southeastern Pennsylvania - Lancaster County
Educator Contact: Sandy Costello, Ph.D. - Dairy Herd Health Educator - Southeast Region
Phone: 717-240-6500
Fax: 717-240-6548
E-mail: ssc10@psu.edu
Workshop Location: Paradise, PA
Thursday March 11, 2010: Southeastern Pennsylvania - Franklin County
Educator Contact: Phil Wagner - Dairy Extension Educator - Franklin County
Phone: 717-263-9226 Extension 228
Fax:717-263-9228
E-mail: pew1@psu.edu
Workshop Location: Chambersburg, PA
Please contact specific educator contact for site specifics, registration and sponsorship and other details, and Sandy Costello for overall program content details. Thanks! Costello E-mail: ssc10@psu.edu
