Herd Health

The economic impact of Johne’s disease on the dairy industry rivals that of clinical mastitis. In the U.S., well over $250 million each year is lost due to reduced milk production, premature culling and reduced reproductive efficiency.

Mastitis can spell disaster for dairy farmers. This potentially fatal mammary gland infection is the most common disease in dairy cattle in the U.S. and worldwide.

But a treatment – dry cow therapy – has proven to be effective.

I grew up not too far from Six Flags Great America. The American Eagle is the tallest and fastest racing wooden roller coaster in the world. Its first drop gives me the feeling most dairy farmers must have felt this spring, not exhilarating, but gut-wrenching. Mandates to dump milk and cut production combined with plummeting milk prices and uncertainty as far as the eye could see were enough to give anyone that nauseous feeling.

Although major investments and advancements have been made in animal welfare science that are increasingly incorporated into animal production, effectively engaging consumers and other members of the public on the subject remains a challenge.

Control and even eradication of bovine leukosis, caused by bovine leukemia virus (BLV), is possible in U.S. dairy herds dedicated to prioritizing diagnostic testing, acting on results and employing regular management practices that reduce the risk of transmission.

Dairy cows are most susceptible to new intramammary infections (IMIs) during the dry period. Cows are at greatest risk two to three weeks after dry-off and two to three weeks prior to calving.