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midatlantic | You have received a lot of good info here regarding lowering cell counts in the short term. One other thing I would think about is cell counts are also genetic. Sires have a SCS (somatic cell score index). 2.30 is very low and 3.3 is very high. I won't go into the science behind it unless you ask for it but basically a sire with a SCS index of 3.30 will have daughters with double the cell counts of a sire with a SCS index of 2.30. If you use sires at 3.00 or higher you won't make any more progress than breed average. If you use registered herd sires you can get this info from Holstein Association. If you have struggled with cell counts, sometimes you have to use everything in your arsenal to lower cell counts long term. There was a study done a few years ago and cell counts were a better indicator of profitability than any other thing on a dairy farm. Wishing you the best as you work to find answers. | |
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