Maintaining cell counts and milk quality on dairy farms needs to be a focus heading into the autumn months.
Most farms are now using selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) and rising cell counts towards the end of the year could cause issues for this.
Ensuring that cows are milked in a hygienic way and in a hygienic environment is important, along with using a post-milking teat disinfectant.
An increase in cell counts at this stage of the lactation means that either infection pressure for the cows is high, or a number of cows already have a high level of infection.
Cell counts
As dairy farms head towards drying-off, maintaining cell counts within the herd is vital.
Herds that are milk recording will have completed between three and four recordings at this stage of the year and chronically infected cows should be easily identifiable from the informatin gaines.
Now is a good time to remove these cows from the herd, to prevent further spread and ensure that cell counts and milk quality are kept under control.
You also need to closely monitor the parlour washing routine and milking routine to ensure that new infections are not picked up, while also ensuring the liners and other worn rubber parts in the parlour are changed.
After milking
The period after milking poses a high risk for cows picking up infection, as it takes the teat sphincter muscle around 30 minutes to close after milking.
On many farms, this 30-minute period could be when the cow is in a yard waiting to go back to grass or walking on farm roadways – both of which are risky places for potentially picking up infections.
Teat disinfection is an integral part of good milking practice and adequate teat care is vital in any mastitis control programme to:
- Reduce bacterial load;
- Improve teat skin condition;
- Produce high-quality milk.
As we move into the autumn months it is important that farmers ensure that this teat disinfectant is working properly and effectively.
You need to ensure that enough product is being used and that it is being put onto cows’ teats correctly.