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The AgSource Cooperative Services Udder Health Management (UHM) Cow Report
The new Udder Health Management Summary performs analyses of the SCC data and summarizes it in a number of different ways to identify herd level trends. However, once these trends have been identified, the user will want to examine the individual cow data in order to make management decisions.
The UHM Cow Report has taken a step beyond its predecessor in not only listing individual cow test information, but grouping the information into the ‘risk groups' defined in the UHM Summary.
The Cow Report divides the cows into eight separate cow lists in order to assist management decisions.
These are;
A. Chronic Cow List
B. Dry Period Failure to Cure List
C. Dry Cow List
D. Fresh Cow Infection List - Cows 5 to 40 DIM
E. Lactating Cow New Infection List - Cows >40 DIM
F. Response to New Infection List
G. CAR (condition affecting record) Code List
H. Uninfected Cow List
Within each cow list, the default system is to order the lists by Barn name or Visible ID, so the producer can easily locate a cow in the list. It is possible for a cow to be on more than one list. For example, a cow may be on both the "Chronic Cow List" and "Response to New Infection List" - if she failed to resolve an infection from the previous test. The general order of the lists is arranged in order from the most chronically infected cows, through the new infected cows, to the uninfected cows.
For the majority of the cow lists, the "Barn Name", "Visible ID", "Lactation Number", "DIM", "Daily Milk" (from the current test), "305ME Ranking", and "Lactation Avg Linear Score" are provided to assist in management decisions. However, other information on each list is customized specifically for cows in that list.
The Chronic Cow List identifies cows contributing to the red area in Block B and the "Chronic 2x ≥ 200" column in Block C of the UHM Summary. SCC test results from the last three test days are provided, with the last 2 color coded in burgandy to be consistent with the UHM Summary. The last 2 tests will be ≥ 200,000 on this list.
Because this list is primarily used to make culling decisions, "Lact Num", "DIM", "Daily Milk", "305ME Ranking", and "Due Date" (green if confirmed) are provided. In addition, the number of tests ≥ 200,000 in both the current ("Curr Lact Tests ≥ 200") and previous ("Prev Lact Tests ≥ 200") lactations are listed to provide evidence of the duration of the infection. Lastly, the "Predicted % SCC Contribution to Bulk" is given to provide a rough estimate of the impact of the cow on the herd bulk tank SCC value.
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Block B - Dry Period Failure to Cure List
In many dairy record systems, a cow's prior lactation performance is forgotten about when she starts a new lactation. This list highlights the cows that were dried off with the last test of the prior lactation ≥ 200,000, that have a 1st test ≥ 200,000 in the current lactation. These cows are a subset of the chronic cows in the herd and should be high on the list for future culling. While these cows contribute to the burgandy area in Block B and the "Chronic 2x ≥ 200" column in Block C of the UHM Summary, they are not included in List A. "Chronic Cow List", but presented on their own in this list.
For this list, the "Curr SCC" is color coded burgandy and presented alongside the "Prev Lact Last SCC" - both counts will be ≥ 200,000 in this list. The "Prev Lact Tests ≥ 200" are given along with the "Predicted % SCC Contribution to Bulk" tank.
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The cows on this list do not have a current SCC value. "Last Daily Milk", "Due Date" and the "Last Lact Avg LS" are presented along with "Last Lact Tests ≥ 200", so the producer can keep track of problem cows not currently lactating. This list is useful for identifying chronically infected cows that should not have their colostrum fed to their soon to be born calves. Use the Dry Cow List to plan and have frozen colostrum from healthy cows available when these calves are born.
Block D - Fresh Cow Infection List - Cows 5 to 40 DIM
List D corresponds to the dark blue areas of Blocks B and C in the UHM Summary. The last three SCC tests are provided, with the most recent color coded in dark blue, along with the DIM of each cow. "Prev Lact Tests ≥ 200" are given to provide prior history for the cow and the "First Infection or Repeat" column indicates whether this is the first new infection occurring in the current lactation or a repeat (second, third, fourth etc.) new infection. All of the cows in List D will be labeled FIRST even if the cow was tested twice .... If the first test was >200 she would be a first, if the second was >200 it would be a chronic. If the second test is >200 and first <200 ...it would still be FIRST.......
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Block E - Lactating Cow New Infection List - Cows >40 DIM
List E identifies the cows with new infections that are beyond 40 DIM - corresponding with the light blue areas in Blocks B and C on the UHM Summary. The last three SCC tests are given, with the most recent color coded in light blue, along with the DIM of each cow. Information similar to that provided in List D is presented, but now the "First Infection or Repeat" column will indicate FIRST or REPEAT depending on whether the current test is the first time tested ≥ 200,000 or the second, third or multiple time ≥ 200,000, with tests <200,000 in between.
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Block F - Response to New Infection List
All of the cows on this list were new infections at the previous SCC test. They appeared in List D or E on the previous month's UHM Cow Report. The objective of this list is to determine what happened to these infections on the current test day.
In addition to the usual information provided for each cow, the "Infection Response" column determines if the cow is <200,000 (current SCC is <200,000), DETERIORATED (current SCC is > previous SCC) or IMPROVED (current SCC is less than the previous test day's SCC, but not <200,000).
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This list identifies cows tested, but with no sample for somatic cell and a CAR code of T, Q, M, S, or Z which was reported or assigned. Cows that freshened within 5 days of the test date will have a CAR code of C, but may have a somatic cell count. The CAR code does not affect if the cow's milk is withheld in the UHM Summary Block C "Bulk Tank SCC" calculation. The withheld indicator (W) specifies if the cow's milk was withheld from the bulk tank.
CAR Code | Meaning | CAR Code | Meaning |
C | Cow calved within 5 days of test date | Q | Unusable sample |
M | Mastitis | T | Lab tech or equipment problem |
S | Sickness | Z | No weight or sample |
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