Low Cell Counts Key to Dairy Profits | Lancaster Farming
Michael Lormore, the current director of cattle technical services at Zoetis, led a 2014 study identifying the drivers of financial success for a dairy, using data from 110 farms between 2007 to 2018. The farms were in the Dakotas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio. Check out this article for one variable worth keeping a close eye on.
“The bulk tank somatic cell count, to me, is the most important variable out there,” Lormore said.
Cell counts connect to milk production, cow turnover and longevity, and pregnancy rates, all of which affect net farm income.
“The revenue opportunity should be obvious,” Lormore said. “For every 100,000 increase in bulk tank somatic cell counts, it is a 5.7-pound decrease in milk production per cow per day. There’s a huge opportunity to continue to improve the quality of the milk we produce.”
