Keep records Good records enable you to keep track of what has happened in the herd and they are also an important means of communication. This also applies to regular milkers - do not assume that your workers know how the system works if you have not explained it. Make sure they understand the markings on the animal, the information on the white board and the importance of keeping antibiotic residues out of the vat. If a treated cow is to be milked into a test bucket, ensure that the bucket is big enough to hold all the milk she will produce at that milking. If two or more cows require the test bucket, the risk of overflow can be minimised by emptying the bucket between cows.
Extra care is required when operating around the test bucket while it is in use.
If everyone in the pit is aware of where the test bucket is, it is less likely to get knocked over. Where possible, the test bucket can be secured by the use of clips, hooks, rigid hoses, etc. Before treating an animal with dry cow therapy, ensure that the time between drying off and expected calving is greater than the withholding period of the drug used. However, there may be times when you know that the animal will calve within the withholding period, but you decide to treat her anyway. If you make this decision, great care must be taken to make sure that her milk is withheld from the vat after calving until the withholding period ends.