Dairy farmers work from sunup to sundown to establish a herd of high-producing cows, but no farmer is thrilled with the risks and consequences that linger in the shadows. As farmers, we have to face the facts: High-producing cows are at a significantly greater risk of contracting a mastitis infection.
So what’s the simplest solution to win the battle and defeat the powerful and detrimental effects of mastitis? As a producer, the first step is to develop a “milk quality plan” on your operation to assess weak points in management and production.
Pamela Ruegg, veterinarian with the University of Wisconsin, has dedicated most of her professional life to mastitis research. She recently took the time to share her conclusions with dairy farmers at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit.
By developing a mastitis prevention program, farms can save money by being more efficient and producing higher-quality milk. Setting a limit for somatic cells is crucial.
A general guideline presented by Ruegg suggests, “Healthy cows maintain cell counts below 100,000 cells per ml.” Somatic cell counts in milk produced from healthy udders are always low and consistent.
All herds are urged to test for subclinical mastitis. There is no way to know how many cows are infected without performing somatic cell tests on each individual cow in the herd.
Effective mastitis plans set a goal in which less than 15 percent of the herd exceeds 200,000 cells per ml. Producers are encouraged to look at individual cow performance when managing milk quality on the farm.
Making individual cow decisions by culling chronically infected cows can greatly reduce bulk tank somatic cell counts. Any cow infected with mastitis has a higher risk of becoming infected a second and a third time. Ruegg stresses, “Past performance is highly predictive of future mastitis.”
As a producer, you have six paths to choose when a cow is inflicted with mastitis, Ruegg says:
• Treat with antibiotics
• Segregate from the herd
• Dry off
• Dry off the quarter infected
• Quarter-milk
• Cull
Through Ruegg’s research, she has found that it is rarely cost-effective to treat subclinical mastitis problems.
Taking into consideration that the most common spread of infection occurs when healthy udders are exposed to infected milk found in leftover teat cup liners, segregating chronically infected cows from the herd is often the best strategy.
When treating cows for mastitis, bear in mind that you aren’t actually treating the initial mastitis infection; you’re treating inflammation of the udder caused by the infection. Infection occurs before inflammation.
This makes it difficult for us to deduce where, when and how the cow was infected with the bacteria. Mastitis is identified based on the responses of cows’ immune systems that occur days to weeks after the initial exposure.
Throughout her presentation, Ruegg also discussed a variety of issues associated with increased somatic cell counts on the farm.
When we’re detecting sources of mastitis, we must keep in mind that somatic cell counts are not affected by breed. Also, stage of lactation does not affect somatic cells unless there are more infected cows in later lactation.
Somatic cell count production does not increase because of other diseases or ailments currently inflicting the cow. Research shows there is no reason for neutrophils to migrate into the udder to fight off infections inhibiting other organs or systems in the body.
In addition, on-farm nutritional management is also not a direct cause of increased somatic cell counts. However, if diets result in loose feces that inhibit udder cleanliness and health, there may be reason to alter the components in the cows’ ration.
Production of somatic cells are increased by faulty, unsanitary farm management practices, milking procedures and environmental pressures.
Exposure to contagious bacteria is common when leftover milk is present in teat cup liners. These risks can be greatly decreased by establishing and following a strict milk quality plan for your operation.
Be persistent and record all clinical cases of mastitis. Be selective in your culling decisions on the farm because it can greatly reduce your bulk tank somatic cell counts.
Identify all points of exposure, weak aspects of management and standard operating procedures increasing risks of mastitis exposure. PD
Kitchen is a student at Penn State University and a freelancer in State College, Pennsylvania.
