It is increasingly important to implement good hygiene on farms. Mastitis caused by contagious bacteria on a farm is hard to cure and results in loss of milk production and money. Being proactive in preventing new mastitis infections now will help to decrease the chance of an outbreak. The opening subhead on this article says it all!
Wearing gloves is a very simple management practice that could help to reduce milk quality issues and limit spreading of contagious and environmental bacteria between quarters and cows.”
Source: The Bullvine, August 27, 2020. Link. In today’s milk market, gloves are necessary to reach the highest premium available to your farm. It should be written into your standard operating procedures and required that they are worn by all employees. Gloves are a very inexpensive prevention tool for a high-cost problem.
Also see: Aspirin makes more milk, The Bullvine, August 26, 2020. Link.
INSIGHTS: Veterinary teams, sales representatives and retail associates who deal directly with dairy production and health teams will find either of these articles to be great conversation starters.
Simply refer to one of the articles and ask an open-ended question of the customer or prospect . . . such as, “<customer’s name>, this article talked about glove use in dairies. I’m curious, how do you use gloves in your milking procedures or mastitis prevention processes with employees?”
- Allow the person time to respond; at least 30-45 seconds
- If they seem caught or stutter, then use the article to show the benefits from glove use (or aspirin post-calving for that matter.)
- Then work toward helping them make a decision, provide support as needed and . . .
- Smile big as you return to your vehicle. You’ve helped someone make better choices.