Milk Testing Workflow

Before Test Day

1. Every doe in milk needs an open lactation period. Without one there's no days-in-milk, which official records need
2. Confirm which test plan you're on — DHIR 20 (supervised), OS 40 (owner/sampler), ADGA ITP, or DHIR 23. You'll select it when entering the test
3. Have your tester's name and ID if it's a supervised test — the record captures both
4. Decide your milking order and keep it consistent. Same order every test day means fewer mismatched samples

On Test Day

1. Weigh each milking and collect samples per your plan's protocol
2. Enter the test day in the app — it's a single entry covering the whole string, not one doe at a time. Set the date, choose the test type, and work down the doe list
3. Note anything unusual — a doe off feed, a missed milking, weather. It explains an odd number three months later

Enter weights before you leave the parlour

Paper notes get wet, lost, or misread. The entry form is built to be worked down in one pass, which is faster than transcribing twice.

When Results Come Back

1. Enter the full component panel, not just the headline numbers: butterfat, protein, lactose, SCC, MUN, total solids, and the lab. Recording all of it means your record matches what you were sent
2. Check SCC against each doe's own baseline. Goat SCC runs naturally higher than cattle and rises with lactation stage, heat, and oestrus — the trend matters more than the number
3. Look at MUN across the herd. A pattern there is usually telling you about the ration, not the does
4. Compare against previous tests for production or component drift

Related

• Logging Milk Weights
• DHIA & DHIR Test Recording
• Milk Quality & Udder Health
• DHIA & DHIR guide