Save Money by Sticking to Protocols

Adapted by Betsy Karle, UCCE Glenn & Tehama Counties

While we don’t have control over the price of milk or the amount of rain in the Midwest, we can still exert some influence over how we spend money on our dairies.  Medicating animals is certainly not the largest expenditure on a dairy, but a penny saved is still a penny earned.  So, let’s take a moment to review the use of protocols in your treatment regimens.

First and foremost, educate employees on what is expected of them.  Post protocols in the medicine storage area or wherever they will be seen by the employees responsible for following them.  Make protocols a part of employee training and reinforce the importance of following them.  Don’t forget to follow up- if the protocols aren’t working or are too difficult to follow, rework them with your veterinarian.  Be sure all medications, prescription or not, are very clearly labeled.  Remember, every medication on the dairy should be used according to label; if it’s being used off-label, it needs an Rx label from a veterinarian (penicillin is a prime example).  If an antibiotic is a one shot drug (“Inject as a single dose“), make sure employees know not to retreat.  Don’t leave any room for judgment calls that are likely to create residue issues!

This is also a good time to evaluate your record keeping system.  Is it being used?  Is it working?  Is it convenient?  It’s difficult to carve time out of a busy day to evaluate management, but using protocols to their fullest potential may help create some calm and structure amongst the chaos.