Use of milk records in a herd health programme

Abstract

Study of herd records has become an integral part of any herd health programme on the dairy farm. However, collection and manipulation of such records is a timeconsuming and often laboriousjob—and it should always be remembered that is is not an end in itself. Data stored should therefore be kept to the minimum compatible with usefulness. It is essential that the best use is made of records available—plenty of information can be gleaned from even the simplest. The following paper illustrates how simple milk records can provide the starting point for investigations of production problems.