Dairy Herd Management Technical Assistance

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Billings Farm

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Farm Background

Billings Farm, located in Woodstock, Vermont, was established in 1871 by Frederick Billings. What began as a 270-acre diversified operation with Jersey cattle, sheep, pigs, and other livestock expanded over time to nearly 1,000 acres. In 1983, the farm transitioned to a nonprofit working dairy farm and museum open to the public, welcoming more than 70,000 visitors annually. Today, Billings Farm milks 35-45 Jersey cows year-round and manages a total herd of approximately 80 head. Milk is marketed through Agri-Mark and Norwich Farm Creamery, and the farm partners with Grafton Village Cheese to produce three styles of Billings Farm-branded cheddar cheeses.

What management issue did this demonstration project address on your farm?

This project addressed two key management needs: on-farm milk testing and whole-herd disease testing. Together, these efforts supported the farm’s goal of improving disease detection and management in order to reduce risk, support on-farm decision making, and protect overall herd health.

Klebsiella mastitis has been an ongoing challenge on the farm, with a higher-than-desired proportion of high SCC and mastitis cases testing positive for this pathogen. The purchase of the Acu-Mast on-farm culture system allowed us to quickly and accurately identify mastitis-causing organisms, confirm diagnoses alongside DHIA lab results, and make more informed treatment and management decisions. The system has been easy to use and effective. Since its installation, we have experienced very few mastitis cases and maintained low bulk tank SCC.

In addition, this project improved our understanding of the herd’s overall disease status. Because we sell livestock to other farms, it was important to identify any diseases present so appropriate management practices could be implemented and progress toward disease eradication could begin. Whole-herd disease testing, conducted with veterinary support, identified several animals positive for Bovine Leukosis Virus (BLV), while confirming that no animals tested positive for BVD or Johne’s disease. These results allowed us to implement management practices to reduce disease transmission, including segregating positive cows, eliminating the use of milk or colostrum from BLV-positive animals, preventing cross-contamination during milking, and developing a clear culling plan. Overall, this project strengthened my ability as farm manager to proactively manage disease risk and maintain a healthy, marketable herd.

How did you track your progress or monitor your results during the project?

Progress was tracked using a combination of on-farm testing results, laboratory confirmation, herd records, and ongoing observation of herd health indicators. For mastitis monitoring, the Acu-Mast on-farm culture system was used to culture milk samples from cows with elevated SCC or clinical signs of mastitis. Results were interpreted using the color-coded tri-plates and scorecard, and select samples were sent to the DHIA laboratory on test day to confirm accuracy. On-farm culture results closely matched laboratory findings, validating the reliability of the system. Bulk tank SCC and individual cow SCC trends were also monitored, with the herd maintaining low SCC levels over the past year and very few mastitis cases since the equipment was installed.

Disease testing progress was tracked through whole-herd blood testing conducted with veterinary support and follow-up management actions. Initial results identified five animals positive for BLV and confirmed the absence of BVD and Johne’s disease. These findings informed the development and implementation of written management protocols, including segregation of positive cows, changes to colostrum and milk-feeding practices, milking order adjustments, and a planned culling timeline. Ongoing monitoring includes follow-up testing of younger animals as they reach appropriate age, tracking the culling status of positive cows, and regular communication with farm staff to ensure protocols are followed.

What were the findings from this project?

The Acu-Mast on-farm culture system confirmed that a cow near the end of her lactation with a high SCC had low levels of Klebsiella, which were consistent with the lab results from DHIA.

Whole-herd disease testing identified five animals positive for BLV and confirmed that all tested animals were negative for both BVD and Johne’s disease. These results allowed us to develop and implement management protocols to prevent cross-contamination and minimize disease transmission to other animals. The results also emphasized the importance of staff training and clear communication to ensure that everyone sticks to the protocol.

What benefits or challenges did you experience?

The biggest benefit of the Acu-Mast system is its ease of use and rapid results. While we have not needed to test many animals, having this tool allows us to quickly identify mastitis pathogens and respond appropriately. This is significantly faster than sending milk samples to a lab, which can take several days for results.

Whole-herd disease testing enabled us to identify BLV-positive cows and implement protocols to manage them effectively. This project also highlighted the importance of clear communication and ensuring that all staff understand and follow new protocols.

One of the main challenges was developing and implementing protocols to manage the BLV-positive cows and prevent cross-contamination. With multiple staff members involved in milking and animal care, consistent communication was essential. This project reinforced how critical frequent, clear communication is to successful farm management and ensuring everyone understands both the protocols and the reasons behind them.

Anything else?

This project has been extremely beneficial to the farm. Having the ability to test milk on-farm allows for rapid identification and treatment of mastitis, and the Acu-Mast system proved both easy to use and accurate.

Access to reliable data is key to making informed management decisions. Understanding the disease status of our animals allows us to develop and implement protocols to reduce disease risk. You can manage what you can measure; without test results, it is difficult to know where you stand. This process was neither difficult nor time-consuming, and it highlighted the potential cost of not knowing what diseases, whether mastitis pathogens or BLV, may be affecting the herd.

Accumast tests — Picture of the Accu-Mast tri-plate culture system

accumast test — Color coded bacterial identification key for the Accu-Mast tri-plate culture system

cows at billings farm — Picture of Jersey cows grazing at Billings Farm. (photo credit: Billings Farm and Museum)

close-up of a cow — Picture of a Jersey cow at Billings Farm. (Photo credit: Billings Farm and Museum)

Rockbottom Farm and Optifeeders

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Rockbottom Farm, located in Strafford, Vermont, is a certified organic dairy managing a herd of 80 Guernsey and Jersey cows. Since 2001, the farm has processed 100% of its milk into bottled milk and premium ice cream under the Strafford Organic Creamery brand. As the last remaining dairy farm in Strafford, Rockbottom Farm stewards more than 600 acres of pasture and crop land.

Through UVM Extension’s Dairy Herd Management Demonstration Fund, the farm received a grant to purchase two DeLaval Optifeeders. The Dairy Herd Management Technical Assistance team spoke with Earl and Jackson Ransom, owners of Rockbottom Farm, about their experience with the new equipment.

Q: What management issue did this demonstration project address on your farm?

A: When we installed our new milking parlor in 2022, we began feeding cows in a small pen as they exited the parlor to ensure they received grain appropriate for their production and nutritional needs. But the system was labor-intensive and slowed cow flow back to pasture. In our old flat-barn parlor, we could feed each cow individually during milking, which allowed for a quick exit from the parlor back out to pasture. The new stand-alone grain feeders in our freestall barn have allowed us to save labor, increase production, give cows free-choice access to grain while they are in the barn.

Because our parlor and the Optifeeders are both DeLaval systems, the software integrates seamlessly. We even receive alerts if a cow has not consumed her 24-hour grain allotment. The first two feeders have worked so well that we have since purchased four more, which will be installed this winter. Once all six feeders are operational, cows will be able to eat their grain and return to grazing more efficiently during the pasture season.

Q: How did you track progress or monitor results?

A: Integration between the parlor and feeder software has made tracking easy. After some initial calibration, the system now allows us to clearly see whether cows have consumed their full grain allotment.

We also use Cow Manager, an activity and rumination monitoring system that tracks health and behavior. This gives us the ability to evaluate how cows respond to feed changes, whether that is a change in grain or a new forage.

Q: What were the findings from this project?

A: The biggest finding so far is improved efficiency. We are using less grain than before installing the feeders and cows have increased production by a few pounds. The labor savings have also been significant—we estimate saving 2 hours per day compared to our previous system.

Q: What benefits or challenges did you experience?

A: While the feeders have been highly beneficial, we quickly realized that two feeders alone weren’t enough to achieve the level of cow-flow we hoped for, particularly during pasture season. This led us to purchase the additional four units, which we were able to source from a farm no longer using them.

We also identified a few design improvements from the first two installations that we plan to incorporate into the next four. With only a few months of use so far, the results have been very encouraging. We look forward to evaluating the full impact next spring, particularly how quickly cows can move from the parlor back to the pasture once all six feeders are in place.