Employee Management in Dairy Farms Associated with Bulk Tank Somatic Cell Count and New Mastitis Infection Risk

For decades, bovine mastitis and milk quality have been a focus area for research, agricultural extension, and dairy processors worldwide, yet employee management as a factor in udder health management has received limited attention. This is mainly because the focus has previously been on more classical areas covered by the National Mastitis Council Mastitis Control Program (NMC 10-point plan) in English-speaking countries. Therefore, we wanted more background information on employee management on dairy farms, to identify the human factor of udder health management. The method of investigating employee management and the impact of employee management on udder health was conducting a study of 88 Danish dairy farms with hired employees and parlor or rotary milking systems. An interview-based questionnaire on individual dairy farmers' human resource management was developed based on the current literature and multiple discussions among the authors. The results we found through analyzing associations between the dependent variable BTSCC and employee management, using a regression model, was that providing a generic SOP was associated with a 21,600 cells/mL increase in BTSCC, with estimates in the range (507; 42,674 cells/mL). We also analyzed, applying a Poisson model, that there was a 0.16% reduction in new infection risk if the training was based on a herd-specific SOP and educated employees. In contrast, we identified a 0.15% increase in new infection risk in herds where SOPs were available but not incorporated, both modest but significant results. In conclusion, farms with educated employees and trained by an SOP achieve the lowest new infection risk, but education has no impact on BTSCC.