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Dairy · Health · Milk quality

Bulk milk cell count

210k cells/mL

The somatic cell count of the combined vat — a herd-level measure of subclinical mastitis. Reported on every pickup, it is the number processors price quality against.

Worked example · Cells/mL · weekly
premium <250k 210k Wk 1 Wk 8
Cells/mL · weekly
The benchmark

Stay below 250,000 cells/mL for quality premiums; under 200,000 is the modern goal and 400,000 the regulatory ceiling.

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What it signals

A creeping BMCC means hidden infection spreading through the herd before clinical cases show. Crossing premium thresholds costs money on every litre, so the trend matters more than any single reading.

Data required to calculate
Vat somatic cell countcells/mLPickup volumeL

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Herd-test for individual cell counts to find and segregate high-SCC cows.

02

Apply selective dry-cow therapy and teat sealants at drying off.

03

Fix the milking machine and routine factors driving new infections.

Questions & answers

What is bulk milk cell count?

The somatic cell count of the combined vat — a herd-level measure of subclinical mastitis. Reported on every pickup, it is the number processors price quality against.

What data do you need to calculate bulk milk cell count?

You need: Vat somatic cell count (cells/mL), Pickup volume (L). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good bulk milk cell count benchmark?

Stay below 250,000 cells/mL for quality premiums; under 200,000 is the modern goal and 400,000 the regulatory ceiling.

How do you improve bulk milk cell count?

Herd-test for individual cell counts to find and segregate high-SCC cows. Apply selective dry-cow therapy and teat sealants at drying off. Fix the milking machine and routine factors driving new infections.

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