Trends in somatic cell count deteriorations in Dutch dairy herds transitioning to an automatic milking system

Abstract

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Influence of the Robotic Milking System on Milk Production and Quality: Systematic Review

“…In the second sub-corpus, Classes 3 and 4, the selected words were correlated with milk quality. Many studies have correlated the increase in somatic cell counts with the entry of animals into RMSs (Kruip et al, 2002;Avilez Ruiz et al, 2021;Van den Borne et al, 2021). However, some researchers have suggested that this high counting rate decreases after six months of herd adaptation (De Koning et al, 2003).…”

“…An increase in SCC may also result from inadequate teat sanitation (Van den Borne et al, 2021). Cows with shallow and small udders are not recommended for robotic milking.…”

What have we learned about milk quality and udder health in automatic milking systems?

“…2 Based on the same survey, 43% reported a decrease in herd bulk tank somatic cell count (BTSCC) while 37% reported no change and 20% reported an increase. 3 Milk quality during the transition from a conventional milk system (CMS) to AMS has been reported to deteriorate for a period of 6 months to a year, 4 but after the transition phase has been reported to be comparable to that of CMS. This is supported by results of the National Dairy Study conducted in Canada in 2015 which reported that farms milking with AMS or pipeline systems had a higher geometric mean BTSCC than parlor milked herds.…”

Is lack of finance a barrier for the sustainability of Dutch dairy farms? : An analysis of nitrogen pollution and profit

“…schemes, manure application, and livestock feed. Similarly, van denBorn et al (2020) examined the aggregate costs and effectiveness of similar measures but at the national level, including changes in animal housing, grazing, manure application, livestock feed, reducing phosphate production rights, and buying out farms strategically Berntsen and Menkveld (2022). analysed the costs and effectiveness of various measures for reducing ammonia emissions for a reference Dutch dairy farm.…”