PROFITABLE DAIRYING

Waipa Post, Volume 51, Issue 3694, 6 December 1935, Page 9

PROFITABLE DAIRYING

REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS. USE OF MILK FROM STRIPPERS. It is generally known by dairymen that the milk from freshly calved cows (colostrum) should not be included in the separation until it becomes normal. This usually requires at least a week. Such milk has an abnormal high albuminous content, which decomposes quickly. It is, of course, nature’s provision for starting the digestive system, and for cleansing the bowels of the newlyborn calf. It is not so generally known, however, that the milk from strippers (that is, cows that are being dried off), is also abnormal, and should not be used in the separation any more than the colostrum, or first milk. Furthermore, dairymen should also guard against separating the milk from cows while “ in season.” The fever engendered at such seasons upsets the milk secretion, adversely affecting the quality of the cream. Again, still greater trouble ensues with the milk from cows that have freshly aborted; this should not be separated until the cow has been properly treated and the milk becomes normal. A further factor, and one which is becoming far too prevalent, is contagious “ vaginitis.” Until the trouble is corrected, the milk should not enter the separator. It should not be imagined, however, that milk affected in these various ways need be wasted, for it can be advantageously utilised in importing the store pig ration. Obviously this will give a greater economic return than if it were separated.

Mastitis in its various forms, and other associated udder infections, also add their quota to milks to be excluded. With the alarming increase and prevalence of these troubles the difficulties of the dairyman to supply a clean and unaffected cream have been greatly increased. His difficulties are particularly evident in the case of an early infection of mastitis. Here a cow’s milk may be apparently quite normal at the morning’s milking, while the afternoon’s milk is affected. Owing, however, to its not being suspected it may not, and gen - erally is not, detected until after it has been poured through the strainer into the milk vat, when possibly the quality of the whole batch of milk has been impaired. In this connection a practical dairyman recently suggested the use of a special dipper fitted with a very fine and removable black gauze strainer. Before milking into the bucket every cow should be tried in each quarter by stripping into the dipper. The black gauze will reveal tlfe slightest coagulation, thus indicating any affected quarter.

‘Apart from the advantages of early detection of any infection it is wise to discard from separation these first few strippings of milk, for not only are they deficient in fat content but are highly impregnated with bacteria even in the case of healthy cows.