Our Farms project final report

Key results:

  • Udder Health: herds participating in the project ranked in the top 25–50% nationally.
  • Efficiency: All herds performed in the top 50% nationally for milk per unit per hour.
  • Financial: Total udder health costs ranged from ~£3,000 to £10,000 per 100 cows per year (1.0–1.25 ppl impact).
  • Labour & cow welfare: Efficient milking reduced time in the parlour, allowing cows more lying and feeding time, improving health, fertility, and yield.
  • Environmental: Lower mastitis rates reduced medicine use and waste milk losses, improving sustainability.

Background:

Clinical and subclinical mastitis are among the most expensive conditions in dairy production because it has a detrimental impact on milk yield and quality, which ultimately lowers the dairy farm's profitability.

A pan-Wales effort to assess milking performance and udder health was undertaken by four dairy farms that are part of the Farming Connect Our Farms Network. In order to assess and compare the four farms and the broader industry goals, the participating supplied their own farm data.

Purpose of the work:

The project aimed to benchmark udder health, milking performance, and financial outcomes across four dairy farms involved in the Farming Connect Our Farms Network. The objective was to provide farmers with performance comparisons against national and peer standards, identify strengths and weaknesses, and highlight practical areas for improvement. 

What we did: 

  • Performance data was done on farm visits and was collected from the participating farms including benchmarked udder health, which included mastitis rates, cell counts and milking efficiency.

Using the data collected, the following was carried out:

  • Costs of udder health.
  • Compared results against UK-wide datasets (e.g., NMR, AHDB) and top-performing herds (top 25%).
  • Identify specific herd-level issues (e.g., higher mastitis in heifers, poor dry-period cure rates, culling patterns).
  • Cost analysis conducted using a tailored mastitis cost calculator.

Outcomes:

  • Participating farmers gained a clearer understanding of herd strengths and weaknesses.
  • Benchmarking provided reassurance that performance was generally strong, while highlighting areas for fine-tuning.
  • Farmers reported reduced mastitis incidence and improved confidence in management practices.
  • The benchmarking exercise demonstrated that small percentage improvements in udder health could significantly increase profitability.
    Some herds exceeded elite targets, while others had improvement areas (heifer mastitis, lactation infections, dry period cure rates).
  • Rotary parlours were found to be most efficient, but appropriate ACR settings and good teat preparation also boosted efficiency.
  • For high-performing herds, relaxing some mastitis control measures could save time/money with minimal risk. For others, modest management improvements would yield significant financial returns.

How to apply on your farm:

  • Focus on three core areas: udder health, milking efficiency, and financial costs.
  • Use milk recording and mastitis cost calculators to identify where losses occur.
  • Set realistic targets (e.g., top 25% mastitis incidence - 13 cases/100 cows/year).
  • Monitor specific issues like heifer mastitis, dry period cure rates, and older cow infection patterns.
  • Optimise milking efficiency: check ACR settings, teat preparation, and parlour utilisation.
  • Reinvest savings from reduced mastitis into other areas of herd management.
    Contact your local Development Officer to see how Farming Connect can support you to work with vets, consultants, and peer groups for specialist support.