Mastitis cases in freshly calved heifers can be a nightmare - especially when there is no way of telling if the first few cases are the beginning of an outbreak - so it pays to put energy into preventing new cases by giving heifers a little extra care for at least their first 8 milkings.

Heifers are subject to many pressures around calving. By the time they come into the shed their udders are often dirty or soiled from the calving pad or paddock, and their teats swollen and tender to touch.

Actions that reduce the number of bacteria near the teat end at milking and improve teat health will minimise the risk of new mastitis infections occurring. Having a special routine for new heifers can help make this happen. This includes:

• Drafting fresh heifers and cows and milking them first;

• Preparing their teats before every milking for the first 8 milkings; and

• Checking foremilk from each quarter for at least the first 8 milkings.

The advantages of handling fresh heifers and cows as a separate mob is that they can be milked before the main herd – when the equipment is at its cleanest. You can take extra time when bringing this separate mob of heifers into the shed, so they become familiar with the routine and are calm and ready to let-down milk by the time the cups go on. This especially benefits young cows coming into the shed for the first time, where both the facilities and milking routine are unfamiliar.

Washing and drying teats prior to the first few milkings will keep the teat skin clean at a time when the udder is highly vulnerable to infection. Otherwise, bacteria can enter the teat end during the milking process, especially if cups slip or air leaks at the mouthpiece – both common events with heifers with swollen udders.

Countdown Downunder strongly recommends that you foremilk strip all quarters of all heifers and cows in the colostrum mob to  help detect and treat early cases of clinical mastitis. A quarter has clinical mastitis if the milk has clots, wateriness or discolouration that persist for 3 or more squirts.

To give fresh heifers that extra attention, it is worthwhile allocating extra staff time in the milking shed for the first few milkings.

Image and caption
Treat heifers as a separate mob for the first few milkings.

Countdown Farm Guideline or Technote     
Farm Guideline 2, 4.2, 5.2, 5.3

Keywords       
freshly calved heifers, milking routine, foremilk stripping

Word length   
385