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Brad and Debi Glenz

Paynesville, Minn.

Stearns County

61 cows



What is the reason for your substantial SCC drop from 2008 to 2009? I don't know if there is any one reason why our SCC dropped. The only thing we have changed was the type of bedding. Halfway through 2008 we switched to finely chopped straw. We have a custom grinder come down and chop wheat and oat straw. He does 30 bales at a time which lasts us about four months. We had been using wood shavings. We switched because of the cost.

What are the top five management practices that are critical to your SCC success? Explain. 1) Keeping cows clean and dry is important to prevent any new infections. We use plenty of finely chopped straw. 2) Consistent and proper milking: Myself and my hired man are the only ones that milk, one of us is always here. We do not pre-dip. We wipe off teats with a dry paper towel, and use an iodine based post-dip that is sprayed on. 3) Our milking equipment maintenance is also important, inflations are changed regularly and pulsators checked. We milk with four Surge One-Touch units with automatic takeoffs. 4) We CMT all fresh cows and anything that is suspicious. DHIA records are very helpful to identify problem cows. 5) Cows are treated if CMT test is positive. We normally use mastitis tubes in the infected quarter; Today or Pirsue. We dry treat all the cows as well.

Why is somatic cell count important to you? The premiums for lower SCC are definitely helpful and I'm sure it also helps production.[[In-content Ad]]

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