It\u2019s no secret that as a dairy farmer, the most ongoing daily challenge you face is maintaining milk quality and quantity, which is directly related to a cow\u2019s comfort in her environment. To effectively manage milk quality and boost production, it\u2019s essential to ensure that cows are comfortable in their environment. Therefore, paying attention to proper udder care is crucial; neglecting it could jeopardise your farm’s profitability.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Poor udder care puts your dairy\u202fat risk for contracting costly diseases and unstable milk production.\u202f Udder care should be a top priority for two reasons.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Mastitis is one of the most expensive health problems in the dairy industry and should therefore be the number one reason that\u00a0you should prioritize\u00a0udder\u00a0health.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
To\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0its impact on your bottom line, research\u00a0shows that the\u00a0average case of clinical mastitis\u00a0costs\u00a0$444 per cow<\/strong>, meaning it\u00a0costs a dairy more than any other disease.<\/strong>\u00a0Not to mention,\u00a0it\u00a0has a significant\u00a0role in\u00a0lost revenue<\/strong>\u00a0because\u00a0of\u00a0lower milk production<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0amplified\u00a0milking inefficiencies.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You are putting your dairy at risk if harmful bacteria are left\u00a0behind due to insufficient germicidal effectiveness and improper cleaning. thereby causing\u00a0a mastitis outbreak.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Teat health is the second most important reason to manage udder care. Higher milk quality is linked to healthy, well-maintained teats. Dry, cracked, or chapped teat skin can make a cow\u00a0more susceptible to infections.<\/strong>\u00a0Keeping the teat skin in good condition helps\u00a0lower the risk of infection, enhances cow comfort, and increases profitability<\/strong>\u00a0by ensuring more efficient milking.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We would like to help by providing you with a few\u00a0questions to consider when evaluating\u00a0udder\u00a0health and care\u00a0on\u00a0your dairy. These questions\u00a0fall into two categories\u2014mastitis control and mastitis prevention\u2014and\u00a0are\u00a0designed to help you\u00a0determine\u00a0if\u00a0mastitis is\u00a0affecting your herd and\u00a0support you in\u00a0identifying\u00a0steps to take\u00a0to improve udder health on\u00a0your dairy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you\u00a0find yourself\u00a0battling\u00a0lower milk production, milking inefficiencies, or\u00a0seeing an\u00a0increase\u00a0of\u00a0cows\u00a0heading to\u00a0hospital pens, it may\u00a0indicate\u00a0you are fighting mastitis and need to work to control it. Ask yourself\u00a0the following\u00a0questions\u00a0to\u00a0determine\u00a0treatment plans.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Proper prevention of mastitis is the best way to reduce the risk\u00a0of\u00a0the costly effects of this disease. To\u00a0determine\u00a0if you are\u00a0accurately\u00a0preventing\u00a0mastitis or just reacting to it<\/strong>, ponder these questions:<\/p>\r\n 1. Are you trying to prevent mastitis correctly through udder care protocol plans designed specifically for your dairy and adjusted as situations change? <\/strong> Most\u00a0mastitis case\u00a0flare ups\u00a0on a dairy\u00a0can be\u00a0traced back to two root causes\u2014<\/span>lack of protocols\u00a0and\u00a0noncompliance.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0The key takeaway\u00a0in this discussion\u00a0is\u00a0to\u00a0protect yourself against this costly disease\u00a0by\u00a0uncovering\u00a0potential problem areas and\u00a0to\u00a0identify\u00a0where you can prevent new cases from occurring\u00a0through training and\u00a0proper\u00a0udder\u00a0care protocols.\u00a0<\/span>Are you taking all the\u00a0right\u00a0steps to prevent\u00a0mastitis from\u00a0impacting\u00a0your bottom line?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n Learn more about\u00a0udder care health\u00a0by<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>reading our article originally published in Progressive Dairy.\u202f<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\r\n Find out more about proper udder care and our range of Valiant products. Contact your local ABS consultant or complete the form below.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n\n\tDecision Tree to help you Prevent or Control Mastitis<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1. Is my herd currently\u00a0impacted\u00a0by mastitis?\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
2. How many cows are in the hospital pen and why?\u00a0What\u00a0is the herd\u2019s\u00a0somatic\u00a0cell\u00a0count?\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
3. If you are seeing increased clinical cases, do you know which type of mastitis you’re fighting?\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
2. Are you routinely reviewing protocol compliance with employees and providing necessary training when needed? <\/strong>
3. How often do you review milking procedures or udder care protocols? <\/strong>
4. Are you using the right udder care product at the right time?<\/strong>
a. Using the right product at the right time to ensure maximum effectiveness while controlling cost is the key to a successful udder care protocol in your dairy.\u202f
5. Have you considered booking an udder care consultation with a specialist to look at the following factors your dairy?<\/strong>
a. Training and consultation milking procedures
i. Equipment testing <\/em><\/span>
ii. Facility and environment review on farm <\/em><\/span>
iii. Records analysis <\/em><\/span>
iv. Barn and parlor audits <\/em><\/span>
v. Bilingual milker training <\/em><\/span>
vi. Cow flow <\/em><\/span>
vii. Review the true cost of a case of mastitis <\/em><\/span>
viii. Recommendations for situational rotation of products <\/em><\/span>
ix. Set up teat dip application system<\/em><\/span>
b. Hygiene and teat scoring
c. Teat and udder health<\/p>\r\nFind Your ABS Representative<\/h2>\n\n