When it comes to tracking udder health performance, or investigating a herd problem, Animal Health Ireland (AHI) reminds farmers that good records matter.
Recording all cases of clinical mastitis is essential so this month’s Cellcheck tip of the month is about the proper recording of cases.
The ICBF has a text-in service, which AHI says is a quick and easy way to record the information, from the parlour, for no more than the price of a standard text message.
AHI is reminding farmers that this service is available to all herds whose mobile is registered on the ICBF database.
To register your mobile number ring 1850-600-900.
As well as using the text service, it advises farmers to keep a record of the cow number, the quarter(s) infected and treatments in a notebook, or farm diary and the Animal Remedies book.
You can quickly add these details to your ICBF herd records at a later date, under the Health Events option.
- For example, to record a case of mastitis for cow Freeze Brand 627, text the following message to 089-4577663 Mast 627.
- The case of mastitis will be recorded as having occurred on the date the text was sent, unless you specify otherwise e.g. Mast 627 18/01.
It says that good records do matter and very often we rely on memory to provide these but trying to recall the details in hindsight, often months later, is not easy.
Maybe you treated cow #627 already this year? Or maybe even more than once? Was it the same quarter? Has the response to treatment been as good this year as it was in the past?
Keeping regular, simple records will answer all of these questions, and allow you to identify the risk times in your herd, it advises.