by Heinz Meissner
Click on any of the publications below to read more about the specific topic:
admin@milksa.co.za 012 460 7312
Brooklyn Court, Block B, First floor,
361 Veale Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk
Pretoria, South Africa
Click on any of the publications below to read more about the specific topic:
Title | Date | Discipline | Extract |
---|---|---|---|
REGULATION AND AUDIT ASSOCIATED RESEARCH – PROGRESS IN THIRD QUARTER. | PRJ-0339: The significance of Enterobacteriaceae, coliforms and E. Coli in milk in the SA market with the aim of updating microbial specifications in R1555 of 1997 (Act 54 of 1972) Background: Regulation 1555 is under revision and there appears to be a notion to follow international trends to specify only Enterobacteriaceae and not coliforms and E. coli. We are not convinced that this is in the best interest of the industry and therefore the aim of the project is to measure the status of these organisms in milk. |
||
ANIMAL HEALTH ASSOCIATED RESEARCH – PROGRESS IN THIRD QUARTER. | PRJ-0336: Diagnostic investigation of sporidesmin toxicity: Histological study Progress: |
||
IMPROVING CALF WELFARE | The practice of rearing, transport and slaughter of excess dairy calves, in particular bobby calves, is often negatively perceived by the public. From the farmers’ perspective, there is very little use for bull calves and therefore they want to dispose of them as quickly as possible. This should be done as humanely as possible and therefore the project of the Dairy Standard Agency (DSA) as cited below has the intention to improve humane handling of dairy calves over the next five years in a way that is measurable. The following methodology is envisaged: |
||
DAIRY WASTEWATER COMPOSITION IN RELATION TO ACT REGULATIONS | Environmental regulations and waste management in SA are governed by the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and other related legislation. Waste management, including dairy waste, falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries (DEFF) (Government Gazette, 2013). |
||
AUTOMATED BODY CONDITION SCORING | Body condition scoring (BCS) is a subjective manual method based on experience of individuals to assess fat reserves in the cow, of value to milk production, re-conception, regaining reserves and feeding. This is normally done at intervals to assist in monitoring loss and gain in body condition to ensure expected milk production, optimal health, conception and ease of calving. |
||
MILKING MACHINE EQUIPMENT AND UDDER HEALTH | The purpose of milking machines is to harvest milk at an optimum speed while maintaining cow comfort and preserving teat functioning against mastitis pathogens. To achieve this, milking machine functioning should be optimal, units should be attached and detached timely, milk let-down should be proper, cows should be handled quietly, mastitis should be identified effectively and equipment cleaned efficiently in case of mastitis, units should be timely adjusted, and alignment should be proper. |
||
BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF DAIRY WASTEWATER | Two wastewater streams from the dairy parlour are relevant: (1) wastewater originating from cleaning, disinfection and sanitation of milking equipment, containing water, milk and detergents; and (2) wastewater from floor washing, containing manure, urine, waste milk and dirt. These are usually flooded into wastewater settling ponds which, depending on design, are variably effective in terms of utilisation of irrigation and settled solids thereafter. |
||
THE GREENHOUSE GAS DEBATE IN LIVESTOCK CONTINUOUS. | Prelude: Methane emissions in particular, and nitrous oxide as potent greenhouse gases (GHG), have been in the political, activist and general public debate for some time. Central in the debate has been livestock ruminants, in particular beef and dairy cattle, since estimates show the global production of these gases from livestock may be upwards of 20% of total. |
||
THE IMPORTANCE OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS IN SA DAIRY HERDS. | Staphylococcus aureus is internationally recognised as the most important pathogen of intra-udder infection and the foremost reason for economic loss to dairy farmers. South Africa is not different, but the spread and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of different strains compared to elsewhere in the world is not well documented, which then was the main focus of the review by the authors cited. |
||
TURNIP PHOTOSENSITISATION IN DAIRY COWS. | Several causes of hepatogenous or secondary photosensitisation have been reported, such as from hepatotoxic plants, water-borne cyanobacteria and saprophytic fungi. In cattle, hepatogenous photosensitivity is associated with the feeding of crops comprising certain cultivars and/or hybrids of forage Brassica, namely turnip, rape and swedes. The bovine clinical case is referred to as Brassica-associated liver disease or BALD, which has been well-described in Australia and New Zealand, but not previously in South Africa. |