Clinical
mastitis cases cost money. With 10 clinical cases costing about $2300, mastitis
can quickly suck from other projects such as upgrading equipment, relief labour
and holidays!
Act now:
review just how many cows are being treated to see whether there is an
opportunity to improve with a good management plan. Countdown Downunder’s
triggers let you know when it’s worth taking action:
• More than
five clinical cases per 100 cows in the first month of lactation; or
• More than two clinical cases per 100 cows in subsequent months of
lactation.
What to do:
pull together information that has been collected. The most effective milking
management, dry cow strategies and calving management plans are developed when
you and your vet or adviser have access to:
• records
of all the clinical cases treated;
• results of milk samples to the laboratory (to confirm the cause of
mastitis in the herd);
• individual cow cell counts from milk recording data.
Your vet can
help combine this information to get a good picture of the effectiveness of the
current mastitis management, and to identify opportunities for improvement such
as milking management, drying-off and dry cow treatment strategies and calving
management.
Make sure that
everyone working with cows on the farm shares in the ownership of the mastitis
management plan. There is no magic formula for this, but it can help to:
• set aside
a specific time to discuss mastitis control; and
• listen to every one on the milking team – they are your ears, eyes and
source of ideas.
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