Agriculture and Agribusiness

Dairy Farm Management and Milk Quality

A dairy is paid on litres and penalised on bacterial count and somatic cells, so the parlour routine and the cow's udder health decide the milk cheque as much as the ration does. This course covers the farm side of milk. Delegates work through lactation curves, persistency and the feeding that supports peak yield without losing body condition. Ration formulation is addressed at farm level, covering forage quality, dry matter intake and the concentrate that is worth feeding. Forage production and conservation follow through silage and hay, with the fermentation and moisture control that determine quality. Milking routine is covered in detail: preparation, let down, unit attachment, over milking and the machine settings that damage teats. Mastitis control is addressed through the somatic cell count, the California mastitis test, dry cow therapy and the culling decision. Milk cooling, hygiene and bacterial count follow. Reproduction and calving interval are covered as the main profit driver. The course closes on calf rearing and on cost of production per litre.