Code of Practice for Milk Producers

   

CHAPTER 1 

1.1 INTRODUCTION           11 
1.2 DEFINITIONS            14   

CHAPTER 2 

2.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MILKING SHED        17   
2.1.1 Approved milking shed          17   
2.1.2 Certificate of acceptability         17  
2.1.3 Design of a milking shed         17  
2.1.4 Grounds of the milking shed, including outside structures, roads and animals    18  
2.1.5 Waste management          19  
2.1.6 Water           20  
2.1.7 Protection of the environment         20 

2.2 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MILKING PARLOUR        22  
2.2.1 Structure           22  
2.2.2 Milking equipment          25 

2.3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MILK ROOM        28   
2.3.1 Structure           29  
2.3.2 Milk storage and cooling equipment         31 

CHAPTER 3 
3.1 GOOD MILKING PRACTICES          36   
3.2 MILKING PROCEDURES           36        
3.3 RECOMMENDED MILKING PROCEDURES         37     
3.4 TEAT AND UDDER HEALTH          38 

CHAPTER 4 
4.1 HERD HEALTH            40 
4.2 DISEASE TREATMENT           41 
4.3 IMMUNISATION           42 

4.4 CHEMICALS AND VETERINARY MEDICINES        42 
4.4.1 Antibiotics           42 
4.4.2 Over-the-counter products         42 
4.4.3 Extra-label drug use          42  

4.5 ON-FARM ANTIBIOTIC MANAGEMENT         43  
4.5.1 Antibiotic resistance (AMR)         43  
4.5.2 Test the tank, not the cow         43 

4.6 SPECIFIC DISEASES           44  
4.6.1 Tuberculosis (TB)          44  
4.6.2 Brucellosis (CA)          44  
4.6.3 Mastitis           45  
4.6.4 Contagious mastitis          45  
4.6.5 Environmental mastitis          46   

4.7 FEED AND WATER           47  
4.7.1 Potential hazards          47  

CHAPTER 5 
5.1 THE CONCEPT OF ANIMAL WELFARE         52 
5.2 ANIMAL WELFARE IN PRACTICE          53 

5.3 WELFARE AND MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES        53  
5.3.1 Veterinarian-Client-Patient relationship (VCPR)       53  
5.3.2 Employee training          54  
5.3.3 Written protocols          54  
5.3.4 Identification and recordkeeping         54  
5.3.5 Milking routine          54 

5.4 NEWBORN AND MILK-FED DAIRY CALVES         54 

5.5 NUTRITION AND WELFARE          55 

5.6 HERD HEALTH PLAN           56  
5.6.1 Newborn and milk-fed calves         56  
5.6.2 Painful medical procedures         56  
5.6.3 Animal observations          57  
5.6.4 Hygiene           57 

5.7 WELFARE: ENVIRONMENT AND FACILITIES        57  
5.7.1 Temperature           57 
5.7.2 Air quality           57  
5.7.3 Lie-down areas          57  
5.7.4 Flooring           57  
5.7.5 Light           58  
5.7.6 Noise           58 
5.8 HANDLING AND WELFARE          58  
5.8.1 Visual perception          58  
5.8.2 Personal space          58  
5.8.3 Learning           58  
5.8.4 Calf handling           58 

5.9 TRANSPORTATION AND WELFARE         58 
5.10 THE WELFARE OF SICK AND INJURED ANIMALS        59 
5.11 AUDITING OF ANIMAL WELFARE         59 

CHAPTER 6 
6.1 INTRODUCTION           63         

6.2 BIOSECURITY DEFINED           63  
6.2.1 Importance of biosecurity         63 

6.3 BIOSECURITY AND DAIRY FARMING: THE BASICS        63  
6.3.1 The animals           63  
6.3.2 The people           64  
6.3.3 The programmes          64 

6.4 ASSESSMENT OF YOUR BIOSECURITY STATUS        65  
6.4.1 #1 – Quality is an important part of my profit       65  
6.4.2 #2 – Keeping infectious diseases off my farm       66  
6.4.3 #3 – My use of strategic vaccinations        67  
6.4.4 #4 – Calf/heifer management as a special part of biosecurity      67 9   
6.4.5 #5 – Biosecurity includes testing         67  
6.4.6 #6 – Bio-containment          69  
6.4.7 #7 – Equipment          69  
6.4.8 #8 – Sanitation          69 

6.5 DEVELOPMENT OF A BIOSECURITY PLAN         69  
6.5.1 Preparing for an on-farm biosecurity plan        70  
6.5.2 Essentials of a biosecurity plan         70 

6.6 REFERENCES            77

CHAPTER 7 
7.1 INTRODUCTION           80 

7.2 GENERAL HYGIENE           80  
7.2.1 Cleaning and disinfection programme        81 

7.3 CLEANING AND DISINFECTION IN THE MILKING PARLOUR       83 

7.4 CLEANING AND DISINFECTION IN THE MILK ROOM        83 

7.5 CLEANING PROCEDURES          83 

7.6 MANUAL CLEANING OF EQUIPMENT, CANS, TRANSPORT TANKS, BULK TANKS AND HAND MILKING EQUIPMENT 85 
7.6.1 Cleaning equipment          85 
7.6.2 Cleaning chemicals and disinfectants        86 

7.7 PERSONAL HYGIENE           86 
7.7.1 Illness and injuries          88 
7.7.2 Personal cleanliness          89 
7.7.3 Personal behaviour          89 
7.7.4 Protective clothing          89 
7.7.5 Change room           89 
7.7.6 Personnel hygiene facilities         89 

7.8 TRAINING            90 

CHAPTER 8 
8.1 GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM     94 
8.2 BENEFITS OF DOCUMENTATION          94 
8.3 STANDARD FOR RAW MILK          100 
8.4 RECOMMENDED TESTS ON THE FARM         100 

CHAPTER 9 
9.1 INTRODUCTION           106 
9.2 REGISTRATION PROCEDURES          106 
9.3 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS          106 

1: FARMER’S INITIATIVE           108 
2 (a): OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBILITIES         108 
2 (b): DETAILS OF RESPONSIBILITIES          109 
3: THE ROAD TO ACHIEVING EXPORT CERTIFICATION FOR A MILKING SHED     110 
4: SYNOPSIS OF DOCUMENTATION AND PROCEDURES REQUIRED FOR MILKING SHED CERTIFICATION  112