Getting dairy hygiene investigations right

When it comes to investigating dairy farm hygiene issues it’s very easy to quickly identify problems, draw conclusions, make recommendations and move on.  However, if we consider the outcomes, the success rate of such an approach can be very low indeed.  How do we improve our success rate?

Successfully identifying and resolving of dairy hygiene issues depend on the skills of the investigator(s), the approach taken, and the ability to understand the nuances between association, correlation, and causation.  This is helped enormously when record keeping is relevant, consistent, and up to date.

When investigating dairy hygiene issues, we need to appreciate that the operating environment can be challenging and is constantly changing.  And, we are dealing with a biological product.  Simply, dairy farmers are operating within a system that is complex.  It is rare for a dairy hygiene problem to have a single cause; it is usually multifactorial.  And these factors can have a different influence each time.  This is why plants can be dirty yet have low microbial counts or be clean but have counts that are unacceptable.  Furthermore, when it comes to undertaking the investigation we are responding to results from the past, and things change. 

Given that producing quality milk is both complicated and complex, what can be done to minimise the risk of poor outcomes? 

The first, is for the farm to have in-place well-designed milking and milk harvesting equipment cleaning routines. 

Such routines are:

·       Specifically tailored to the individual farm – remember every farm is a little different.

·       Adaptive and responsive, not “set and forget” – if conditions change (e.g. change in water source, extra muddy teats, hot weather) so must the routines.

·       Watchful, need to regularly monitor and check that things are working as intended.  Is the water hardness the same or has it changed?  Is the flow rate of cleaning solutions through each cluster correct and similar, or are there blocked air bleeds or is there poor sealing between the liner mouthpiece and the jetter on some?  Is the amount of chemical dosed correct?

The second, is to have a science-based, systematic approach to investigate dairy hygiene issues on farm when they occur. 

Remember, dairy hygiene is part of a complex and complicated system.  The approach must be methodical, systematic, thorough and critical.  The investigator needs to avoid unconscious biases, and consider the information collected in the context of how it is presented.  Don’t jump to conclusions too early!  A tool investigators could find useful is the Dairy Hygiene Helper.  It has been built for this purpose and is standard industry-approved approach.

Implementing these strategies will help farmers maintain high quality milk and improve the success rate of investigations when things go wrong.