Mastitis Information
Bacterial infection is responsible for 70% of mastitis cases
Mastitis is the UK’s most prevalent dairy cattle disease, costing the farmer an average of over £200 per case and the dairy industry millions per year. With bacterial infection responsible for the majority of mastitis cases, it is vital you take effective measures to protect your herd and your business from its potentially devastating effects.
Types of mastitis:
• Sub-Clinical mastitis – no visible changes to the quarter or milk, resulting in lower milk production and increased cell count
• Clinical mastitis – visible symptoms which can range from mild to severe and can result (in occasional cases) death
• Summer mastitis – an acute mastitis typically occurring during the summer months, resulting in early culling
Types of mastitis pathnogens:
• Contagious - spread from infected quarters to other healthy quarters, in the same or other cows, via the milker, milking machinery or contaminated bedding
• Environmental – generally caused by dirty, wet bedding and poorly ventilated housing, it can be acquired around the time of calving during milking and calving time when protection provided by antibiotic dry cow therapy has waned and immunity is reduced and during the milking process if the milking routine is not optimal
Prevention is better than cure
Mastitis-causing organisms usually invade via the teat canal, progressing into the mammary gland where they attempt to colonise the udder tissue - the interaction between the bacteria and the cow’s immune defence has a negative impact on milk production. As mastitis can be notoriously difficult to cure, your goal should always be to prevent new infections.
Your cubicle bedding is a key part of your Mastitis Prevention Plan
To help safeguard your cows from inflammation, pain and premature culling and to ensure greater profitability through low cell count milk, you should always have a plentiful supply of clean, dry bedding as recommended by the National Institute for Research in Dairying (NIRD).
Poor cubicle bedding, which can be rife with health hazards, is not a cost effective option. Whilst readily available and seemingly inexpensive, some bedding options can ultimately cost you and your animals dearly.
Why successful dairy farmers rely on EnviroBed™:
• Unbeatable absorbency
• 10 x more absorbent than straw, 5 x more absorbent than sawdust
• pH of 7.4 inhibits pathnogenic bacteria
• Reduces mastitis and cell count
• Increases milk sales
• Unbeatable cow comfort and wellbeing
• Readily available all year round
“The year round supply of EnviroBed helps us manage our cell counts and mastitis as well as assisting cash flow. The alkaline pH restricts bacteria growth and assists with liming the soil.”
Tom Whalley, Tabley Hill Farm, Cheshire
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For more information on infection prevention, visit our BactaHealth website>
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