Minimising the spread of mastitis in mid-lactation

Milk quality specialist Don Crowley joins Emma-Louise Coffey to discuss how to minimise the spread of mastitis in mid-lactation. Staph aureus is the main source of mastitis and high SCC in dairy herds during mid-lactation. Don explains that this is a chronic mastitis in cows that existed in previous lactation and was masked in early lactation following dry cow therapy treatment. The risk associated with Staph aureus is the cross-contamination to other cows and cure consists of drying the high quarter or culling the cow. Don recommends that farmers continue to milk record this year and to use the figures to make decisions around controlling SCC and longer-term decisions around maintaining a healthy and profitable cows.  Don emphasises the value and importance of milk recording in terms of the information it offers your herd. Where the service of a recorder is not currently available, farmers should consider DIY milk recording during the COVID-19 challenge. For more episodes from the Dairy Edge podcast go to the show page at: https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/