The California Mastitis Test (CMT) is an extremely useful tool that dairy farmers can use to detect high somatic cell count (SCC) cows, and cows with subclinical mastitis.
The introduction of the new antibiotic legislation has put controlling cell counts to the front of many dairy farmers’ minds.
The new legislation is aimed at reducing the amount of antibiotics used on farms, particularly those that are used for prevention.
Milk recording
Milk recording has become an extremely important tool on dairy farms for controlling and monitoring cell counts.
It also has several other advantages, including:
- Tracking your best and worst producers;
- It is useful as a culling tool;
- It adds value to your herd through improved herd records;
- It provides economic breeding index (EBI) reliability;
- Pregnancy testing;
- Increased tuberculosis (TB) compensation.
The major drawback of milk recording is that it only takes place at certain times of the year and requires a lot of planning.
California Mastitis Test
This is where the use of the CMT kit becomes useful to dairy farmers.
A simple and inexpensive tool, the CMT kit can be used on-farm and offers farmers quick and live results.
The CMT kit is an excellent tool to help identify high cell count cows and/or cows with subclinical mastitis.
The argument could be made that on some farms, the CMT kit is as important as grass measuring and roadways.
This is because it offers farmer real-time information on what is happening with their cows, and allows management decisions regarding certain cows to be made quickly.
Just like grass measuring, the CMT kit allows for better management of cows and can only improve farm profitability.
High cell counts are penalised by co-ops, which reduces the price paid for each litre of milk.
The kit can be used in conjunction with milk recording results to monitor and control cell counts within your herd.
Method
The procedure for using the CMT kit is very simple. It should be carried out prior to attaching the clusters:
- Draw and discard the first three draws and then fill each well with a quantity of milk. Try to avoid cross-contamination;
- Once all four wells have a quantity of milk, tilt the tray to a 45º angle; this will ensure there is an equal volume of milk in all four wells;
- Turn the tray back flat and squeeze the bottle until an equal quantity is applied to all four wells; there should be approximately a 50:50 mix of milk and reagent;
- Stir the tray for 30 seconds and watch for any changes to the consistency of the solution. The degree of thickness reflects how high the SCC level is within the quarter.
