9 January 1998

Cell counts drop

INDIVIDUAL cow somatic cell counts have fallen and cow yields increased according to National Milk Records Annual Production Report.

NMR says that cell counts in milk recorded herds fell by 8.7% in the year to Sept 1997, with the average of black-and-white herds now at 167,000/ml.

Milk yields for Holstein Friesian herds increased by 122kg to an average 6760kg. The Guernsey and Brown Swiss breeds also increased cow yields by over 100kg a cow to 4812kg and 6156kg respectively.n