University of Wisconsin - Extension

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin dairy producers continue to benefit from participation in Milk Money, the popular team-based milk quality improvement program offered through University of Wisconsin-Extension in cooperation with the UW-Madison Department of Dairy Science, and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

Recent analysis of 113 herds completing the Milk Money program reveals an average added $1,033 per month increase per farm in quality incentive income from the time herds begin Milk Money until they complete the program. The 113 Wisconsin dairy herds completing Milk Money averaged 265 cows covering 29,835 cows. At $1,033 herd/month, Milk Money participation is returning a total average of $116,727 per month to the participants.

That means that if the improvements hold for a year, an average Milk Money herd of 265 cows sees another $12,396 in income related to milk quality incentives alone. Pooled together, the 113 herds can reel in an additional $13,190,151 over the year if the improvements seen during the four-month program continue. At the start of the program, the 113 herds were getting an average of seven cents per hundredweight (CWT) in quality premium incentive. By the end of the program, the herds had increased their incentives to an average of 27 cents per CWT.

Income improvement from milk quality comes from three areas for Wisconsin dairy producers: increased milk production, improved ability to capture quality incentives from milk buyers, and reduced costs associated with mastitis.

Data from farms that enrolled in the program beginning in Fall 2001 and continuing through spring of 2004 were included in this analysis. Most of the teams (78 percent) included an extension agent.

The formation of milk quality teams resulted in positive changes of herd performance. Most of the standard measurements of milk quality improved during the program. Overall, bulk milk somatic cell counts, an indicator of quality, and standard plate count were reduced by 20.2 percent and 28.4 percent compared to the first meeting. Individual cow indices of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis were significantly improved. Cull rates decreased by the end of the program.

Additionally, Milk Money participants adopted a significant number of best management practices and many report increased communications about milk quality issues with their dairy professionals. Many teams continue to meet after the program has formally ended.

Contact your University of Wisconsin-Extension agent about Milk Money for your farm or call Sevie Kenyon, toll free: 1.866.TOP.MILK/1.866.867.6455, email: skenyon@wisc.edu or visit the web site www.uwex.edu/milkquality