Here you’ll find what Bactoscan measures, what causes high bacteria counts, and the key steps to prevent milk quality downgrades.
Summary:
Bactoscan measures the amount of bacteria in your milk and is a key part of milk quality testing. Early intervention is the best tool you have to prevent Bactoscan downgrades.
Downgrade support
Your milk quality results are available daily on your tanker docket or on the Farm Source website. If the results are elevated to a B category then you should carry out an immediate plant and vat hygiene check.
A snapshot of what to look for:
- Normally associated with fresh milk deposits in the milking plant and poor milk cooling
- Poor plant hygiene
- Inadequate wash systems
- Soil or manure deposits on cow udders and legs
- Mastitis can also impact bacteria counts
How to reduce the risk of Bactoscan downgrades
High Bactoscan results can lead to milk being downgraded, which can mean lost income and extra pressure at busy times.
Check your milk cooling system
- Make sure your primary milk cooling system is working effectively.
- Cool milk to less than 18°C before it enters the vat using the coldest water available.
- Avoid recirculating cooling water back to the same tank.
- Milk leaving the plate cooler should be no more than 2–3°C warmer than the water entering it.
- Ensure milk flow and plate cooler size are right and plates are clean.
- Cool milk to less than 6°C as quickly as possible.
- Ensure the first milking covers the bottom agitator blade.
- Check the vat temperature gauge at every milking.
- Service refrigeration units annually and check them before the season starts.
- Review milk vat monitoring data regularly.
Maintain good milking plant hygiene
- Use wash water at 80–85°C and dispose of alkali wash water before it drops below 55°C.
- Carry out at least one hot detergent wash every day.
- Check washline injectors, jetters, flow rates, and air leaks.
- Service milking machines annually.
- Check plate coolers for blockages.
- Complete monthly plant and vat hygiene checks using Dairy Diary (app or book).
Keep cows clean
- Prevent effluent pooling on races.
- Minimise effluent build-up on feed pads and loafing barns.
- Stop cows lying on badly pugged or effluent-coated surfaces.
Testing and monitoring
- Your milk is tested randomly three times a month.
- Elevated milk quality risk scores can trigger extra Bactoscan tests.
- Results are available daily on your tanker docket or the Farm Source website.
- If results reach a B category, carry out an immediate plant and vat hygiene check.