While it is impossible to eliminate cases of mastitis in a dairy herd, automation can help producers save time, money and resources, ensuring their cows get the best and most timely care possible.

Profitable livestock production requires many quality management skills that all impact the technical results.

Extra revenue is great, but remember to weigh changes in expenses between alternative plans.

In my 50 years of experience, managing the level of SCC and mastitis in fresh heifers is critical to achieving excellent milk quality. There are many important ways to improve milk quality on your dairy, but don’t let fresh heifers contribute to your issues.

Since their father began dairy farming in 1974 with only four cows, the Brophy brothers have grown their herd to 200 milking cows, expanded their forage acreage sixfold, overcome a barn fire in 2002, which decimated their milking herd and main facility, and most recently, sprung back from a severe disease outbreak, which resulted in the death of 42 cows over nine days.

All we have to do is balance the ration to maximize fat, right? Regarding the number of variables involved in ration formulation, few diets are ever truly balanced. Consider the word “optimized” instead. Let’s look at several key nutrients that must be optimized for maximum butterfat production.

Approximately 50% of dairy cows, the pinnacle of metabolic athletes within the species, will experience a production-associated disease (e.g., mastitis, metritis, ketosis, displaced abomasum) in every lactation. Even in the best facilities with the best management, mastitis is an inherent risk that can’t be eliminated, so our aim is to reduce it.

With 10% to 35% of cows experiencing mastitis each lactation, grappling with its cost is a reality of milking cows. A Canadian study showed mastitis costs dairy farmers roughly $660 per cow per year, making it the costliest disease of dairy cattle.

Udder health is not something you can take your eye off because you have a plan in place.