CIDLINES Pre-Strip Cup

Code: W-F0082

Foremilk stripping: Several squirts of milk are removed from each quarter. This is done into a strip cup, where the white flakes or clots in the milk will be collected and show up against the black screen of the strip cup top. Alternatively, milk is stripped onto the floor under the cow and observed for flakes or clots. The latter approach is most commonly used, although using the strip cup is the preferred means of identifying flakes or clots. Cows with flakes or clots in their milk probably have some form of mastitis. This is the most common means of identifying clinical mastitis. Typically, the milk that was furthest down in the gland at the start of milking, that is closest to the teat end, is high in somatic cells. Eliminating this by stripping results in lowered overall somatic cells in the milk that is harvested.