Fatemeh Soleimani-Rahimabad, Ali Sadeghi-Sefidmazgi, Abbas Pakdel, Rabea Rahbar, Jeffry Bewley, 2023, Farm Management and Economic Factors Associated with Bulk Tank Total Bacterial Count in Holstein Dairy Herds in Iran, Journal of Dairy Research
The objectives of this research were (1) to study different factors affecting milk total bacterial count (TBC) and (2) to estimate the economic value associated with TBC in Holstein dairy herds in Iran. The relationships between bulk tank TBC and farm management and economic factors were examined on 56 randomly selected intensive dairy farms. Herd management factors associated with bulk tank TBC were determined using mixed linear models. The median bulk tank TBC for the sample herds was 299 (range 81–1185) × 103 cfu/ml. The average economic premium opportunity from bulk tank TBC was US$ 5.20 per ton of milk for herds with dirty barns. Results showed that the following management factors were associated with low TBC and high economic value: frequency of cleaning water troughs, teat cleaning material, the frequency of milk delivery to the processor, bedding material, herd size, education level of …