The Key to Managing Mastitis
Mastitis continues to be one of the costliest diseases plaguing dairy farms. It is estimated that mastitis alone costs the dairy industry around $2 billion each year, and with such a large economic impact, dairy farmers must be diligent in finding ways to manage this common, yet costly disease. So, what’s the best way to help take back control of your herd’s health? The answer is simple – data.
Effectively managing mastitis starts with having the right monitoring systems in place. This requires good herd records, data and check ins for reviewing data and executing treatment plans.
Managing Subclinical Mastitis
Subclinical mastitis is when milk appears normal but contains excessive numbers of inflammatory cells. Infected cows produce less milk, and the milk quality is greatly reduced. The best way to manage subclinical mastitis is by analyzing individual cows’ somatic cell count (SCC) on a monthly basis through a DHIA testing program, a California Mastitis Test (CMT) or a different electronic testing device. The higher the SCC, the more inflammatory cells in the udder and the poorer the quality of milk.
Once you have the data, use it! With DairyComp, you can use data to:
- Create chronic cow lists
- Examine new infection and cure trends
Managing Clinical Mastitis
Clinical mastitis is easier to visibly detect than cases of subclinical mastitis. It is present when milk contain flakes, clots or is watery in appearance. To properly manage clinical mastitis, you should:
- Forestrip at least once per day
- Record all clinical cases, even if they’re not treated! Use a severity scoring system to determine if the mastitis is mild, moderate or severe if the cow is treated.
- Ensure treatment data and GAPs are consistent
- Use protocols
- Use ‘remarks’ in DairyComp to enter severity scores and other treatment notes on individual cow’s cowfile
- Use the CULTURE event to track cows that have been cultured due to incidences of mastitis
Ready to start managing mastitis, boost milk quality and decrease costs for your dairy? Tune into our “Managing Mastitis and Milk Quality in DairyComp” webinar to find out how DairyComp can help you record and track metrics.
