Milk recording offers many benefits to dairy farmers to help gain some insight into what is happening within their herds.
One additional test that can be completed when milk recording is testing for Johne’s disease.
Johne’s disease
Johne’s disease is a bacterial disease of cattle and other ruminants for which there is currently no cure. Johne’s is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP).
MAP affects the animal’s gut which causes diarrhea and wasting.
Cattle can become infected at any age but are usually infected as calves from drinking or eating contaminated food by the bacteria.
Milk recording
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) recommend that when you are organising your milk recording you should talk to your recording company about having your herd screened for Johne’s disease.
You should also communicate with your vet and discuss which animals will be tested by milk, and if he/she feels some animals would be better tested by blood.
If possible, all animals within the herd should be tested, particularly if there is known history of Johne’s disease within the herd.
It is also important to note, that just because there is no known history of Johne’s within the herd, does not mean it is not present.
AHI recommend that all animals should be tested and infected animals should be removed from the herd.
Planning
AHI suggest that you should leave 180 days or six months between whole-herd testing for Johne’s disease.
AHI also recommend that you should ideally leave 90 days after TB testing and a minimum of seven days after calving.
Cull cows should be removed from the herd before testing, otherwise they should be included in the testing.