The Minnesota Easy® Culture System can be used on the farm or in the veterinary clinic to categorize the cause of mastitis quickly and easily for treatment or management decisions. There are three different culture plates available:
Minnesota Easy® Culture for clinical mastitis
Triplate - Factor®, Focus® & MacConkey media
Differentiates Staphs, Streps and Gram-negatives and aids in detection of Staph aureus suspects.
Biplate - Factor® & MacConkey media
Differentiates Gram-positives and Gram-negatives and aids in detection of Staph aureus suspects.
Minnesota Easy® Culture for selective dry cow therapy
Quadplate - 4Cast® media
Differentiates Growth and No Growth and aids in detection of Staph aureus suspects.
Consult with your veterinarian or contact us to discuss which Minnesota Easy® Culture plate is right for your dairy.
Getting started
To get started using on-farm culture, you will need to order some supplies and equipment, and someone on your dairy will need some basic training in culture procedures and interpreting results. Culture plates and other supplies can be ordered from the Lab for Udder Health. Incubators, ranging in price from $70 for a Styrofoam egg incubator to $500 for a lab incubator, can be ordered online from several suppliers.
Get started by reviewing our Minnesota Easy® Culture System II User’s Guide, which describes how to set-up your on-farm lab and begin culturing. Download the User’s Guide below, or request that a printed copy be mailed you at Order Supplies.
- Minnesota Easy® Culture System II User’s Guide (English)
- El Sistema de Cultivo Fácil de Minnesota® Guía del Usuario (Spanish)
- Minnesota Easy® 4Cast® Quick Start Guide
The Laboratory for Udder Health offers on-farm culture training opportunities throughout the year. Contact us for information on our next available course.