Herdplus members get a report from ICBF on the dry period cure rate, which also shows the new infection rate over the dry period. It should be less than 10%.
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That is, only using antibiotic dry-cow tubes on cows with a history of high cell count. It is likely that this will become a legislative requirement over time, but at the moment there’s no obligation to do it. The advantages are in cost savings, with less dry-cow tubes needed and a quicker return of milk to the tank after calving, because only the colostrum milk needs to be withdrawn.
However, it is not without its risks. Information is key. The threshold for what cows don’t need to be tubed should be derived from milk recording, and any cows not being tubed should average an SCC of less than 100,000 over the year, but ideally it should be less than 80,000. The other thing to consider is the average SCC of the herd, as this will determine the exposure of the herd to mastitis. Average herd SCC should be below 150,000 before you should consider selective dry-cow therapy.
Herdplus members get a report from ICBF on the dry period cure rate, which also shows the new infection rate over the dry period. It should be less than 10%. Other factors to consider include teat sealing and the cleanliness of housing.
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That is, only using antibiotic dry-cow tubes on cows with a history of high cell count. It is likely that this will become a legislative requirement over time, but at the moment there’s no obligation to do it. The advantages are in cost savings, with less dry-cow tubes needed and a quicker return of milk to the tank after calving, because only the colostrum milk needs to be withdrawn.
However, it is not without its risks. Information is key. The threshold for what cows don’t need to be tubed should be derived from milk recording, and any cows not being tubed should average an SCC of less than 100,000 over the year, but ideally it should be less than 80,000. The other thing to consider is the average SCC of the herd, as this will determine the exposure of the herd to mastitis. Average herd SCC should be below 150,000 before you should consider selective dry-cow therapy.
Herdplus members get a report from ICBF on the dry period cure rate, which also shows the new infection rate over the dry period. It should be less than 10%. Other factors to consider include teat sealing and the cleanliness of housing.
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