As last autumn and winter was the first time that most Irish dairy farmers used selective dry cow therapy, this spring could pose a challenge for keeping mastitis and SCC under control.
Clinical cases of mastitis are relatively easy to spot, while the effectiveness of treatment will vary depending on the type of mastitis, age of the cow and previous history.
It’s easier and cheaper to prevent a high SCC problem than it is to cure one, so farmers should be focused on prevention this spring.
Getting into a good routine on mastitis prevention involves a couple of routine steps.
1. Dry cow cubicles should be cleaned and disinfected at least once, if not twice a day during the dry period. This has been shown to reduce the incidence of mastitis. 2. Calving sheds should have clean bedding and should be regularly cleaned out to prevent the build-up of infection in the under-bedding. Cleanings are a rich source of food for bad bacteria. 3. Milking cow cubicles should be cleaned and disinfected twice per day. 4. Milk from recently calved cows should be fed to calves for the first eight milkings before going into the tank. 5. Before a freshly calved cow enters the bulk tank, a Californian milk test (CMT) should be carried out to ensure that the cow isn’t carrying infection. 6. In some cases, more time will be required for the cow to clear up any infection herself and usually after a few more days, the cow will pass the CMT and be ready to go into the bulk tank. 7. In some cases, where the cow doesn’t clear up, she might require treatment. Speak to your vet about the best course of action and make sure to take a sample of milk from the affected quarter before treatment. By undertaking these measures, farmers will be making sure that freshly calved cows are not contributing to a high SCC problem.
As the spring goes on, it's quite possible that some of these cows will pick up an infection or will only display an infection a few weeks after calving.