Everyone preaches about this concept. You see it in every newsletter, every post, on every company’s website about calf raising, they might as well write it right on your forehead if you raise calves, am I right?
That’s nice and all, but what does that ACTUALLY mean? Because when people just keep saying something to me, it doesn’t help me to understand, and it sure as heck doesn’t make me want to do it more!
6 week old buckets, only cleaned with warm water and sprayed with DK-ll 1x per day 
Used glove sprayed with DK-ll. 
Clean buckets, washed with dish soap, rinsed with DK-ll.
To us, sanitation should be 3 things:
- KISS – Keep it simple silly!
- 5 steps or less
- Easy to use products (no hazardous components, no challenging mixing instructions).
- Entire process is able to fit on ONE laminated piece of paper with ALL of the details.
- You could give it to someone that has never done it before, and based on your instructions from that one sheet, they could do it flawlessly.
- EFFECTIVE – Don’t be wasting your time!
- After you have completed your KISS sanitation protocol, things should actually be clean.
- What is clean? Less than 10 on the ATP meter.
- If that isn’t the case, it’s back to the drawing board!
- Take plate counts and ATP swabs at least once a month to make sure your protocol is working.
- It should be SAFE
- No mixing of hazardous chemicals.
- No special storage instructions.
- No timeline on when it’s no longer effective.
- No worries of lung damage from gas inhalation
- No worries of skin damage from getting diluted product on you.
- No wondering if it is going to hurt you, your employees, or your calves!
Is your sanitation program doing those things for you? If not, we would love to help you step up your sanitation! This month ONLY in honor of JUNE DAIRY MONTH, we are offering a FREE 30 minute consultation ($45 value), where we go through your personal cleaning and sanitation routines and help you to find areas of opportunity!
Start by asking yourself these few questions above, and if they aren’t adding up, give us a shout!
Also, consider looking into our “Measuring the Success of your Maternity Program” to help your calves get started on the right hoof (hint, it’s ALL about cleaning and sanitation!)