Best Milking Practices: On-Farm Culturing
This hands-on workshop is offered to dairy producers, employees and milkers to help increase the quality of milk that is produced in Pennsylvania.
Milking consistency affects cow well-being, mastitis risks and milk output. Participants will learn about the importance of early detection of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis and proper treatment protocols. After completion of this program, participants will have the essential tools for early detection of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis, as well as the proper techniques for collecting milk cultures, setting up cultures for on-farm identification and the knowledge to identify bacteria growth. Participants will also be taught how to properly develop treatment protocols that meet their individual farms bacteria growth. This, in turn, will increase income through increased milk production, increase premium benefits and decreased cost of treatment.
Instructors are Greg Strait, Amber Yutzy, Andrea Tholen, Penn State Extension educators.
Agenda Topics
- Farm costs of clinical and subclinical mastitis
- How to properly obtain sample milking cultures.
- How to properly set up milk cultures
- How to properly identify bacteria growth on milk culture plate
- Setting up standard operating procedures for treatment
Registration
Registration fee: $50 per person; $25 for each additional person per farm. To register, mail in this form and a personal check, or register online with your Mastercard or VISA.
50% Off Discount Available: Pennsylvania dairy producers and their dairy employees may attend this workshop for the discounted fee of $25, thanks to a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. To receive this discount, recipients must be willing to provide their Social Security Number to the Department of Labor and Industry at the workshop. Those unwilling to provide SSN will be charged the full rate of $50. Pennsylvania agribusiness employees are not eligible for this reduced registration fee. Online registration is not available for WIB discount.
SmartStart Credits
This program is eligible for 1 SmartStart credit from AgChoice Farm Credit.
Contacts
For more information, call toll-free 888-373-7232 or contact:
- Amber Yutzy, Extension educator: anl113@psu.edu
- Greg Strait, Extension educator: gls10@psu.edu
- Andrea Tholen, Extension educator: aut16@psu.edu
