A Co. Cork-based vet has issued a warning to farmers to be cautious when using farm chemicals after an incident involving caustic-based detergent on a local dairy farm.
Modern Irish dairy farms are busy places, with a large number of chemicals required and used on a daily basis.
Many of these chemicals have a vital role to play on dairy farms to ensure that the highest quality of milk can be produced.
But if incorrectly used, these chemicals can be detrimental to both human and animal health.
Farm chemicals
Vet, James Dunne based in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork highlighted an incident that happened recently on a client’s dairy farm.
During the milking process, the farmer was replacing the teat spray and accidentally picked up the wrong drum.
The drum he picked up was a caustic-based detergent for the milking machine; Dunne noted that the drums are very similar in appearance.
Dunne explained that 24 cows were sprayed just once, but it resulted in horrendous consequences for the cows that were affected.
All of the cows that were sprayed had skin reactions on the udders and incurable mastitis.
Three of the affected cows died despite intensive treatment from Dunne, and 21 other cows were never milked again.
Commenting on the need for better labelling, Dunne said: “Perhaps the companies that make these products should colour-code them in the future.
“I would not like to see this unfortunate episode to happen to another farmer,” he said.
He said that there may also be difficulty for some farm labourers who may not be completely fluent in english.
This incident resulted in a massive financial and emotional loss to the farmer, with 24 cows affected by caustic-based detergent.
Dunne and the farmer involved are highlighting the incident to try and encourage companies to change how these products are sold to farmers in order to ensure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
They are suggesting that the barrels that contain chemicals should be a different colour to the ones that do not contain chemicals.