Michael Quinlivan has been a dairy farmer in Cooraclare, west Co. Clare for more than 40 years. He is a third-generation dairy farmer and he manages a herd of 125 cows.
Michael was keen to create efficiencies on his dairy farm and after some research, discovered the SenseHub Somatic Cell Count Sensor, which he installed more than three years ago.
According to Michael, the technology, which provides information on the somatic cell count (SCC) of the milk via a simple traffic-light system, was a very worthwhile investment.
“I think the SCC sensor is one of the best investments on the farm in the last few years,” he said.
“It’s one of those technology things which I was a bit shy of getting into, but it’s a must now because it just keeps going in the background.
“It gives me peace of mind when there are so many things happening when you’re milking. I would say this is one of the biggest helps in the parlour.”
SenseHub SCC sensor
The SenseHub SCC Sensor provides automated SCC for individual cows using a traffic-light system at each milking point. It allows dairy farmers to identify high-SCC cases before each cow has finished milking, and to act quickly to protect milk quality, herd health and profits.
After the cups are attached, the sensor automatically detects milk flow and begins the test. A 2ml sample of milk is mixed with reagent and undergoes an automated California Mastitis Test (CMT) to determine the SCC by measuring the viscosity of the sample.
The result is displayed via an optical indicator light representing one of five SCC ranges.
“It’s very simple to use and if you have relief milkers it’s very easy to explain,” Michael said.
“It hasn’t impacted on my milking routine one bit – by the time I’m at the end of the pit the milk has been tested and I can decide if any action needs to be taken.
“It only takes about two minutes to test the cow and I really like the traffic light system which quickly communicates the SCC levels.”
Improved milk quality
The SenseHub SCC Sensor gives animals the best chance of positive health outcomes through earlier detection of high SCC and timely control procedures, all while reducing unnecessary interactions.
It is also proven to reduce the SCC and indirectly the incidence of mastitis on the farm and allows dairy farmers to proactively manage bulk tank quality and infection control.
“The sensor has impacted greatly on the incidence of mastitis and cell count on the farm,” Michael said.
“Before this, I was dependent on milk recording which could be six weeks away or individual sampling. Now it’s instant so you can get working on it straight away.
“I’ve also seen a big reduction in antibiotic usage,” he added.
Financial benefits
The standalone SenseHub SCC Sensor works with any existing parlour technologies and allows everyone working on the farm to quickly and definitively identify high SCC cases without any specialist training.
“It has reduced my stress as I am in control of my herd and I’m not worried about getting fined and losing money.
“The service and backup are brilliant and I think it was an incredibly worthwhile investment,” Michael said.
To learn more about the SenseHub SCC Sensor, click here.
