Herd Health

There’s no debate that dairy farming relies on cycles. From the time of day cows are milked and fed to the timing of heats and breeding, everything has a time and a place.

Postpartum disease and disorders may pose a threat to dairy cows, negatively affecting culling, lactation and reproductive performance. Approximately one-third of dairy cows have at least one clinical disease (e.g., metritis, mastitis, digestive issues and respiratory problems) during the first three weeks of lactation.

In response to industry and consumer calls for more judicious antibiotic use, additional research has gone into selective dry cow treatment (SDCT).

Advice from multiple sources led herdsman and human resource manager Paul Lippert to set up on-farm mastitis culturing at his family owned dairy, Grass Ridge Farm LLC in Pittsville, Wisconsin.

Teat dips are all designed to protect the teat from the environment with various forms of germicide and an even greater variety of conditioning packages. The purpose of teat dipping is to provide a germicide that will kill mastitis-causing germs and apply skin conditioners that keep teat skin and ends healthy.

Researchers at the University of Alberta are in the process of developing a test which may allow dairy producers to test their cows for mastitis and receive the results in a matter of minutes.