An Evaluation of the Efficacy of On-farm Pasteurization of Waste Milk in Seven Western New York Dairies

Abstract

Whole milk has nutritional and economic benefits over milk replacer as a feed source for calves. Waste milk-non-saleable milk from treated cattle-represents the most affordable source of whole milk on the dairy. Despite its benefits, whole milk contains many pathogens and poses a disease risk to calves. Pasteurization has emerged as a valuable and cost-effective method for reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria present in waste milk on farms, and studies have shown numerous health and economic benefits through feeding pasteurized waste milk over un-pasteurized waste milk. There remains a need for identifying how effective pasteurizers are when operating under on-farm conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate bacterial load in waste milk before and after on-farm pasteurization.