"IT'S MORE THAN HALVED OUR BULK CELL COUNT"
Spring is always the difficult time of year for mastitis and freak weather conditions have made this a particularly bad spring.
But with an average bulk somatic cell count of just under 56,000 for the last four years, Morrinsville sharemilker Stephen Toner is proving that mastitis can be controlled using the right tools.
Dave Malcolm of Hamilton-based Dairy Consultants Limited says the very dry conditions last summer and autumn have meant a shortage of feed. "Some cows have lost condition and that's a risk factor for mastitis."
Secondly the record wet winter has made it difficult to maintain good teat condition.
CAPTION: Stephen Toner has won Fonterra awards for low bulk somatic cell count each year since he switched to Deosan Teat-Ex four years ago.
"When cows get close to calving, their udders are full of milk and the teat canal is open. In these wet, muddy conditions the paddocks are full of bacteria which can enter the udder and cause infections. The first month after calving is crucial."
The bad weather has not fazed Stephen Toner and wife Rachell, who run 335 Friesian cross cows on a 110 hectare farm owned by Stephen's parents John and Shirley Toner.
For the last four years the Toners have received Fonterra achievement certificates for bulk somatic cell counts (BSCC) that have to be seen to be believed.
Season Average bulk somatic cell count
2007/08 54,659
2006/07 47,724
2005/06 51,152
2004/05 69,319
Many farmers struggle to get their BSCC below 200,000.
How do the Toners do it? A farmer for 26 years and now in his 10th season on the family farm, Stephen has the benefit of experience combined with a willingness to try new techniques.
The Toners put their success down to the following factors:
• We treat the whole herd with Nafpenzal Dry Cow Treatment (DCT) on the last day of milking. This penicillin is active for 42 days and protects the cows from the bacteria that cause mastitis.
• Every season before supply we service the plant to ensure there are no mechanical issues which could cause mastitis or teat damage. We make sure the vacuum pressure is not too high.
• When the cows calve we do eight colostrum milkings before transitioning into the milking herd. We watch carefully for swollen quarters and manually strip out the milk into a paddle to see if it curdles, a sign of mastitis. We then treat any affected cows with penicillin every 24 hours for three days.
• It is essential to rapidly regain good teat condition after the dry period with a top quality teat spray. We use Deosan Teat-Ex, which is a chlorhexidine-based teat sanitiser with a glycerine emollient - and this really is the secret to our success.
We started using Teat-Ex four years ago after we had recurring cases of mastitis while using a linseed oil teat spray. Within three days of using Teat-Ex our bulk somatic cell count went from 180,000 to under 100,000.
It dramatically reduces the new cases of mastitis in the herd and we put that down to thorough manual teat spraying after each milking using a sprayer that drops down into the pit. We prefer manual teat spraying to ensure the cows are getting good coverage - automatic sprayers may not be as effective for hitting the mark if they are not regularly serviced.
If you have done the job right through the transition phase, the teat spray acts as a mastitis preventative. Once they are clear they stay clear.
• Stress can be a big factor in mastitis - so it's important not to rush the cows coming down track, or for them to be hungry or thirsty.
• Finally, we cull any cow that has more than three mastitis infections in a season.
Stephen says the economic benefit of having mastitis under control is not losing any production with sick cows and being able to milk the cows longer in the season.
But the benefit he looks forward to most is carefree leisure time. "I can go marlin fishing at Whitianga and I don't have to worry about mastitis. It takes the stress out of farming when you do the job right." < Back Home < Back News
