LANSING, MICH. - Dairy farms that rely solely on individual
cow or bulk tank Somatic Cell Count (SCC) scores are leaving money on the
table. To really manage SCC’s impact on herd performance and profitability,
multiple data points must be monitored, which is why CentralStar Cooperative
(formerly NorthStar Cooperative and East Central / Select Sires) developed the
SCC View Analysis report.
Developed in collaboration with Dairy Records Management
Service (DRMS), the SCC View Analysis report is a convenient way for producers
to get a comprehensive snapshot of a herd’s SCC infection rates by days in milk
and stage of lactation. It allows herds to establish goals and highlights key
areas such as dry period cures and infections at calving, against the established
goals.
“Producers don’t have time to dig up and analyze multiple
data points to manage SCC, so bulk tank and individual cow information ends up
being the norm when it shouldn’t be,” said Doug Moyer, Director of DHI Services
for CentralStar Cooperative. “Recognizing this challenge we created the
multi-point SCC View making it convenient for producers, veterinarians and
consultants. The report does a great job of stratifying SCC averages by
lactation and stage of production, allowing a dairy to easily zero in on groups
that might otherwise be overlooked.”
Available in early 2019 to producers using CentralStar’s DHI
testing services, users have found that the SCC View pinpoints segments of the
herd that are higher than their self-determined goal. Once identified
management changes can be made for a particular segment and positively impact
milk quality for the entire herd. The two-page SCC View report can be emailed
FREE to herds using CentralStar’s DHI services that are processed through DRMS.
“There is significant research showing a strong relationship
between SCC and key profitability drivers on a dairy,” said Moyer. “The
interconnectedness of SCC, reproduction, production and culling means the
insights SCC View can provide are wide reaching.”
“While bulk tank SCC are important measures of the quality
of milk that is marketed, they don’t give us the total mastitis picture of the
herd,” said Ronald Erskine, DVM, PhD, Professor & Dairy Extension
Veterinarian, Michigan State University. “In fact, with herds that actively
cull or dry off high SCC cows, treat clinical cases or milk cows with three
quarters, the extent of mastitis can be underestimated. You can’t track the
effects of management changes without tracking new infections based on
individual cow SCC.”
CentralStar Cooperative, Inc. was established on May 1, 2019
as the result of the merger between NorthStar Cooperative and East Central /
Select Sires. A stock based cooperative, CentralStar is owned by dairy and beef
producers in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. CentralStar’s goal of enhancing
producer profitability through integrated services is fulfilled by
incorporating an array of products and services critical to dairy-and-beef-farm
prosperity. CentralStar’s product and service offerings include Accelerated
Genetics, GenerVations and Select Sires genetics; comprehensive
artificial-insemination (A.I.) service; genetic, reproduction, and dairy
records consultation; DHI services; diagnostic testing; herd-management
products; research and development; and more. CentralStar’s administration and
warehouse facilities are located in Lansing, Mich., and Waupun, Wis., with
laboratories in Grand Ledge, Mich., and Kaukauna, Wis. For more information,
visit CentralStar Cooperative Inc. at www.mycentralstar.com.