Large Animals - Dry Cow Therapy
Hygiene is REALLY important when inserting DC tubes: Poor DCT administration can have disastrous consequences.
- Always use FRESH wipes that are alcohol moist and really scrub the teat. Use a separate wipe for every quarter ie 4 teat wipes per cow. Use more than one wipe per teat if really dirty/necessary.
- Clean the end of the teat thoroughly, the sides are less important.
- Insert the intramammary immediately after cleaning…do one teat at a time (it is probably best to not even release your hold on the teat to ensure no contamination).
- Insert the tube only a little way into the teat (helps a better plug to form).
- Teat spray every cow after DCT.
- Do small mobs only and don't rush the job. Ensure it is done carefully!
- Wear gloves.
- Record and mark treated cows, check the Withholding Time.
- Put cows out onto clean pasture.
- Check udder in 10 days time and then recheck in 14 days. Check in the shed rather than during a paddock check where infections can be missed.
- Reduce feed to maintenance 6kg DM/cow/day for 10 to 14 days.
BULK MILK SCC:
- A high BMSCC costs a lot of production.
- Each 100,000 increase in BMSCC leads to a 1-3% drop in production.
- At $6/kg MS & 100,000kg MS production & only 2% drop……$12,000 lost income
