Milk Quality surveys

1. Do you believe the U.S. should adopt a 400,000 somatic cell count standard to replace the 750,000 standard currently in place?

Yes 72%
No 28%

2004: Yes: 65.9%, No: 34.1%
2003: Yes: 76.3%, No: 23.7%

2. Beside somatic cell counts what are some other management areas you believe impact the consumers perception of milk quality and safety?

Dairy Appearance 75%
Animal Welfare and Handling 58.3%
Environmental Management/Lagoons 50%
Environmental Management/Odor 41.7%
Biosecurity 33.3%
Environmental Management/Resource Utilization i.e. water conservation 16.7%
Other 25% (Size of the operation, cleanliness)

3. Do you currently have protocols and systems in place to monitor somatic cell counts and maintain or improve Milk Quality?

Yes: 60%
No: 40%
Average SCC of those answering: 349,444.

4. Do you feel you are adequately prepared for an Animal Welfare Audit conducted by an outside party i.e. McDonalds, Kroger's Stores?

Yes: 62.5%
No: 37.5%

5. Do you believe that your dairies appearance has an impact on potential consumers?

Yes: 90%
No: 10%

6.  Do you believe the way your dairy smells has an impact on consumer attitudes and perceptions of Milk Quality?

Yes: 90%
No: 10%

7. Do you believe that the number of flies in proximity to your dairy has an impact on consumer attitudes towards milk quality?

Yes: 80%
No: 20%

8. Do you believe your dairy is adequately prepared for an EPA or other local, state or federal environmental audit?

Yes: 0%
No: 100%

9. What are you currently doing to add value to the milk you produce?

Reducing SCC's 100%
Initiating new milk quality protocols 60%
Conducting Milker training 40%
Selecting genetics for higher components (fat) 40%
Selecting genetics for higher components (protein) 40%
Selecting genetics for higher components (CLA) 40%
Selecting genetics for higher components (Kappa Casein) 0%
Selecting genetics for higher components (Omega 3 Fatty Acids) 0%