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• Clinical mastitis rate is ten times higher around calving

Clinical mastitis rate is ten times higher around calving

The following article is taken from the Countdown Downunder Farm Guidelines.

This publication is available from the office and contains a wealth of practical and accurate advice about mastitis.

A recent study in Victoria showed the incidence of clinical mastitis at calving and for the month after calving was on average 10 times higher than the rest of the lactation.

Cows are very susceptible to udder infections around calving because many of their natural defence mechanisms are low and there is significant contamination of the udder with manure.  Some of the worst clinical cases of mastitis occur  around the time of calving.  Heifers may be particularly susceptible to infection as they tend to spend longer on the ground at calving and often suffer a degree of udder oedema (flag).

Measures taken to reduce exposure to bacteria that cause environmental mastitis (such as Strep uberis and Escherichia coli) are a sound investment for a mastitis control program.  They include:

Calve on clean, dry pasture or a clean, dry calving pad.

It is often not the first or second group of animals into the calving area that develop cases, but those that calve there later in the season when the area is not as clean and dry' as it was.

In practical terms a calving area with more than 2 pats of manure per square metre is not clean enough for calving cows.  Pasture or calving pads must not be pugged or wet.  If water is visible on the surface or in your gumboot prints, it is not dry enough for calving cows either.

Although wet weather in some years makes 'clean and dry' impossible, there will be areas on most farms that are more suitable than others.

Subdividing the calving area, with back fencing of the used parts, can help reduce the exposure to environmental bacteria.  If the calving area has a slope on it, using the lower parts first and moving the active area up the slope can also reduce contamination for the later calvers.

Bring cows into the shed as soon as possible - certainly by 24 hours after calving.

Don't allow cows to drip milk.  Even if they have NOT calved, bring them into the shed, check their udders and machine milk.  To reduce the risk of mastitis it is important to milk udders out completely - using good milking preparation and ensuring milk fever control (diet, calcium treatments etc) is adequate.  Similarly, only let calves suckle cows for up to 12 hours, then remove them and machine milk the cow twice daily.

Take special care with induced cows.

Induced cows can be particularly susceptible to infection.  Make sure they are kept in clean, dry paddocks after induction, machine milk them as soon as they begin to bag up and watch udders carefully for signs of mastitis.

These measures will help reduce the number of cases of environmental mastitis in your herd during the calving period and reduce the risk of mastitis outbreaks in very wet and muddy seasons.