When milk produced on a farm is examined for bacteriological milk quality and mastitis causing bacteria, it can disclose descriptive information about the general udder health status of the herd, milk hygiene and milking practices on the farm. Many dairy producers periodically receive information about their bulk tank milk with reference to standard plate counts and bulk tank somatic cell counts. Some dairy producers also receive a report on preliminary incubation counts. This information, when collected over a period of time, in combination with bulk tank mastitis culture reports can become a significant knowledge base. This comprehensive data, when interpreted in context with the farm's management practices, provides a rationale to determine current and potential milk quality and mastitis problems in a herd. This paper describes the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting bulk tank milk microbiology test results, and utilizing the information to make decisions on improving udder health of the herd and improving milk quality.
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Jayarao et al. (2001) studied this question.