Cleanliness is essential for dry
cow treatments
There
is an enormous amount to gain from Dry Cow Treatment – provided the job is
done well. Trying to hurry it or using inexperienced help to treat cows at
drying-off is very risky and may prove disastrous.
If
the teat end is not cleaned and sanitised, or the nozzles of the intramammary
tubes are not kept sterile, or the teat skin is not disinfected, it is all too
easy to introduce bacteria into the teat. To get the job done properly takes a
concerted effort, especially if the cows are not used to having their teats
handled. Good hygiene is also essential if you are using teat sealant because it
has no direct anti-bacterial action. It prevents bacteria migrating up the teat
canal after drying-off, but will have no effect against bacterial pushed up into
the udder with the tube, if administration is not scrupulously clean.
Review
your protocol and staff training for administration of intramammaries. Use the
Fact sheet in the Countdown Farm Guidelines (page 91) and get advice from your
vet.
Operators
need to be trained in the correct way of giving intramammary treatments. Without
a well-planned routine, avoidable mistakes may occur at the time of Dry Cow
Treatment, including injury to staff.
The
Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines for
Mastitis Control says that a realistic goal for one person doing the job
well is to handle about 20 cows per hour. This allows 3 minutes per cow to
perform the following 7 steps:
-
Restrain
the cow
-
Clean
the teat ends and swab with alcohol
-
Administer
the antibiotic Dry Cow Treatment or teat sealant
-
Apply
freshly mixed teat disinfectant
-
Clearly
mark the cow
-
Record
the appropriate treatment details
-
Move
the cow to an appropriate location.
It’s
a good idea to limit the number of cows to be treated after any one milking,
especially in seasonal herds. If practicable, draft out the next batch of cows
then milk and treat them before bringing the remainder of the herd through the
dairy. This keeps the plant as clean as possible at the time of treatment.
Dry
Cow Treatment is an essential component of mastitis prevention and control. It
is important to set realistic targets for the time and effort that it will take
to treat your herd. In terms of mastitis control on your farm – a job well
begun is a job half done.
Image and caption
"Ensure teat ends are
swabbed before administering intramammaries"
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