Large Animals - Mastitis Made Simple
To control mastitis you must:
1. Detect it and treat it EARLY:
- Have procedures to constantly be finding mastitis cows, such as regular stripping, using RMT paddle test and the summary herd test data.
- Treat immediately (or next day if in colostrums).
2. REDUCE cows getting new infections:
a) Milking Management:
- Shed procedures, cup removal, cup alignment, milk time.
- Plant efficiency, inflations.
- Teat spray.
b) Cow associated bacteria (chronic infected cows).
- Prevent infection spread (milk mastitis cows last);
- Remove infections with dry cow therapy → mastitis & herd test records;
- Remove carrier cows – culling → mastitis & herd test records.
c) Environmental bacteria (reduce new infections from bacteria on the teat skin).
- Dry Period
DCT/Teatseal...many cows get infected during the dry period
- Lactation
Pads/paddocks …also when wet & muddy
To control mastitis:
- You need to have a plan to follow.
- You need to FOLLOW the plan!
Click here to download a copy of the plan!