On-Farm Tester For Butterfat

On-Farm Tester For Butterfat DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 8-3-21 "We think most dairymen using this new tester can boost their herd's butterfat average substantially within the first 12 monthsä" says Raymond McAneny, export manager for Agrofarm, a Danish company that chose the Sima show in Paris to unveil its new "breakthrough" management tool for dairymen. The milk fat indicator gives a fast, accurate test of either raw or homogenized milk in less than a minute. You simply put a small 3 oz. sample of milk into the battery-operated tester, push a button and presto! Fat content of the sample is displayed right before your eyes on the dial of the tester. Retail cost of the unit is expected to be right at $385, according to McAneny. Agrofarm, veteran manufacturer and marketer of grain moisture testers in Europe, has appointed a distributor in the U.S. who will begin marketing the device on a limited basis this summer. Full scale production and marketing is slated to begin this fall. The patented (applied for) new tester uses ultraviolet light and mirrors to determine fat content of milk samples. It's been field tested the past two years, scoring 99.98% for accuracy, says McAneny. "This new management tool allows you to pinpoint the fat content of individual cows throughout an entire lactation, and from one lactation to another. It allows you to immediately pinpoint the effect of new rations, feed additives and other factors on fat content. If a high producing cow's milk shows a sudden drop in fat content, it may be an early clue to mastitis or some other serious problem. And, in selling milk on the basis of butterfat content, you can quickly and accurately check each lot to make sure you're being paid for full measure," McAneny points out. Contact: Neal Whitney, Agrofarm Distributor, SI Mfg., P.O. Box 68, Spencerville, Ohio 45887 (ph 419 647-4444).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.