Several studies have reported a decrease in udder health and milk quality associated with the use of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS; Hovinen and Pyorala, 2011). These reductions in milk quality and udder health occur in spite of quarter based milkingand the availability of electrical conductivity and other technologies to monitor milk quality, which are common on AMS. Despite the general trend for a reduction in milk quality with AMS, some farmers are able to consistently achieve good milk quality using AMS. One Pennsylvania dairy farmer using AMS reported that she 'starts to worry if somatic cell count (SCC) goes over 100,000'. The objectives of the current study were to document milk quality on Pennsylvania dairy farms using AMS and identify management practices that contribute to good milk quality and udder health on these farms.
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