Recording cases of mastitis is now quick and easy with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation’s (ICBF) text-in service.
According to Animal Health Ireland (AHI): “For no more than the price of a standard text message, you can now record the information, from the parlour, as soon as you see a case.”
It is reminding farmers this service is available to all herds whose mobile is registered on the ICBF database.
To register your mobile number telephone 1850-600-900.
“Also do keep a record of the cow number, the quarters 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,” Animal Health Ireland has advised.
Recording all cases of clinical mastitis is essential, it stressed.
“When it comes to tracking udder health performance, or investigating a herd problem, good records matter. 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 No 17 for mastitis three times this year? Or was it six? 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.
In addition, AHI is advising farmers not to forget to record any treated cows on your whiteboard in milking parlour so you and your milkers know which cows are now out of the tank.
How to use the ICBF text-in service?
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 then be recorded as having occurred on the date the text was sent, unless you specify otherwise for example Mast 627 18/01.