Controlling Mastitis (Pt 2) - Getting to grips with contagious mastitis

IMPROVEMENTS in the management of contagious mastitis and parlour technology has seen many farmers turn their attention to environmental causes in recent years.

 

However, speaking at a Northwest Livestock Programme demonstration event organised by Myerscough College and the Clover Club was Milking Technology Specialist Ian Ohnstad, who insists you should never take contagious mastitis for granted.

 

 

The internationally recognised Dairy Group expert's main points were that poorly operated, or operating machinery, is usually the cause that sees infection passed within and between cows.

 

And that cluster flushing and other new technologies are not a catch-all solution, but part of the overall jigsaw used after you’ve identified the root of your problem.  

 

He said: “We’ve moved towards concentrating on environmental mastitis as we’ve got better at managing contagious, but we still can’t ignore it.

 

“Transporting contagious pathogens, such as Staph aureus, Strep and CNS, can be passed from cow to cow and within the cow. Staph aureus infection is rocket fuel. Its ability to spread is intense and if one cow in a herd has it there is a good chance they can all get it if it isn’t managed properly.”

 

Mastitis caused by Staph aureus produces tissue damage and decreased milk production. Infected cows should be identified, segregated, and milked last at every milking.

 

Forty five farmers attended the event at Game Farm in Singleton to listen to Mr Ohnstad’s advice, courtesy of host farmers the Rogersons.

 

The Dairy Group specialist advised against taking bulk samples and suggested sampling individual cows instead, stating bulk samples are “overused and somewhat over-rated”.

 

The role of the machine

 

Looking at the role of the machine in infection and teat condition, he said that it was generally recommended that you change your liners after 2,500 milkings.

 

However he then showed a slide that demonstrated the number of bacteria surviving cleaning and said disinfection started to rise dramatically after just 1,500 milkings and that the highest deposits were found where the teat end sits in the liner.

 

He said: “A separate mastitis group should be milked last. You’ve got to be sure that the plant is clean for the rest of the herd, and that infection isn’t passed on.

 

“You can begin to see how easy bugs are able to get in to a liner (View Ian's presentation) At 1,500 milkings the levels start to increase and you can see that the most bugs are around the teat area.”

 

Cluster flushing:

 “We’ve seen a big increase in cluster flushes being put in but a cluster flush is just part of the jig saw. If you’ve got dirty cows a cluster flush is not the solution.

 

“You’ve got to know the source of your problem. If your dirty cow management is fine, your cubicles are fine and your culling policy is fine then buy one. If not then look at those issues first.”

 

Sanitised milking equipment:  

“Just because it’s electronic doesn’t mean you don’t have to check it. Never let your water temperature drop below 55 degrees centigrade. Have a digital thermometer to check temperature of the water sanitiser and make sure the dosage of sanitiser is right.

 

Pipeline:

“You’ve got to chase the water out in a wave as you need to form an air plug. When you put your hand on the receiver it should all shake when the water hits it”

 

Liner slip:

“This creates a vacuum fluctuation where 30 to 40 kpa can be lost. If that combines with an infectious quarter then mastitis can spread from one quarter to other non-infected quarters in the same cow.

 

“You’re never going to get a liner that suits every cow. 5% is a good intervention rate. Cluster attachment should be on in 20 to 30 seconds to minimise air contact.”

 

Hygiene:

"This is important. Everyone says you’ve got to wear gloves but you only have to look at meter keypads to see how dirt transfers."

 

Cluster positioning:

"Is one of the most important parts. Make sure it is square under, not twisting or pulling back. There needs to be equal weight on those shells."

Mastitis Facts - On average 39 cases are seen in every 100 cows

• There are 1,462,155 cows in England.

• There were 570,240 cases of mastisis recorded last year.

• That's one case every 55 seconds!

>> View Ian Ohnstad's powerpoint presentation from the day - featuring the diagrams and pictures mentioned in this article.

 

Also at the event: Chris Corrigan from Lambert Leonard and May (LLM) vets discussed milking routine best practice, a representative from Boehringer Ingelheim talked about the benefits of anti-inflammatory drugs (Metacam) in the treatment of mastitis, and James Allcock (LLM) talked about the various mastitis treatments on the market.

 

>> Contagious Mastitis Day Hand Out - produced by the Clover Club

 

>> Read the Farmers Weekly Report from this event

 

>> Farmers Guardian feature with Ian Ohnstad - Making efficient use of your dairy equipment

 

 

What's your milking routine like?

Tell us what you find works well in managing contagious mastitis in your herd by sharing best practice with other farmers on our forum. CLICK HERE

 

 

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