Tips for Improving Milk Quality

Lorna Twomey, Milk Quality PhD Researcher in Teagasc Moorepark, joins Stuart Childs on the latest Dairy Edge podcast to talk about milk quality and the things farmers can do at the end of lactation and the start of the next lactation to ensure good TBC and thermoduric counts. Lorna talks about a good routine, regardless of product choice, and doing the routine well every day of the year. This, if done correctly, will deliver high quality milk. Lorna also stresses the importance of preparing cows for milking especially important for thermoduric counts and again, while this is especially important during the housing period, it is also important throughout the lactation. Finally, Lorna talks about washing the machine and tank well at the end of the milk supply period for the year in order to ‘store it’ clean and then washing well again in advance of milk being supplied in the New Year as well as having good communication with you milk processor in relation to that first milk collection to avoid longer than necessary storage periods before collection in the spring. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/ The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com