Limerick farmer Seamus Crawford has reduced the need to use antibiotics to just 20% of the mastitis cases within his spring-calving herd, with the incorporation of a new approach to health management.
Seamus milks a herd of Holstein Friesians at Garryspillane, near Kilmallock in Co. Limerick. His greatest challenge had been high cell counts in some cows.
This incurred milk quality price penalties and also loss of milk sales income when milk from cows treated with antibiotics could not be sold.
In a bid to find a solution, Seamus used Maycillin, a bolus engineered to release its actives through an inter-ruminal bolus. These boluses are sold in most EU countries.
That was in 2019; fast-forward two years and some of the cows that he first used the product on have not needed treatment since, as their cell count levels are now consistently low.
“I have been amazed by the number of cows that I no longer have problems with,” said Seamus.
“After I gave them Maycillin in 2019 they didn’t need to be treated the following year.”
Some of those cows were given a second bolus a month after the first.
“It was a major success, we have had a great response,’’ Seamus added.
Mastitis cases
“With mastitis cases, we have used an anti-inflammatory in conjunction with Maycillin and have had a very high success rate,” Seamus said.
Cows over 500kg are given two boluses; once administered, it quickly releases its actives.
Seamus milks 110 cows, producing 6,587L/milk/cow/year at 3.52% protein and 3.8% butterfat from 0.85t/year of concentrates.
84% of the herd calves in the first six weeks in the spring.
Before intervening with Maycillin, average cell count in Seamus’ herd was more than 200,000 cells/ml – it is now consistently 140,000.
He now uses Maycillin strategically when he needs to target occasional spikes in cell counts.
“We had a spike in the summer of 2021 when cell count went to 470,000 at one stage but by targeting Maycillin on those cows we are now back down to 140,000,’’ said Seamus.
He now only use antibiotics in 20% of mastitis cases and that means extra milk income.
In 2020 he introduced Maycillin Dry, which has been developed by Mayo Healthcare to target cows at drying off.
Five cows with cell counts of more than 250,000 cells/ml at drying off were given the bolus.
“We have had no problems with those cows this year,’’ Seamus added.
“Udder health is so important now with selective dry cow therapy becoming the norm.’’
Pat Corbett, Seamus’ local Mayo Healthcare representative, said farmers need solutions for protecting health without needing to resort to antibiotics.
“A herd of 100 cows with a somatic cell count (SCC) of 100,000 cells/ml can capture €11,700 more profit than a similar herd with a SCC of 400,000,’’ he calculated.
For more information on Maycillin, visit the Mayo Healthcare website by clicking here.
