When analyzing mastitis infections in dairy milk production, it’s important to understand how mastitis impacts a milking cow and overall herd health management. After taking the time to analyze mastitis in a herd, I like to ask the questions, "What is the rate of new infections?" and "What is the recovery rate?"
Understanding Mastitis Recovery and New Infections
This article builds on a previous discussion about differences in 305 ME milk production between cows with and without mastitis in the first 60 days. To read the first article, click the Mastitis tag up above, or go to the link at the bottom of this article.
As we talk about the recovery rate and new infections in DHI-Plus herd management software, we are comparing the previous test to the last test. If an animal is cleared of infection, her previous test would have shown a high somatic cell count (over 1 million), while the current test would show a lower somatic cell count (under 1 million). Understanding somatic cell count levels is key to managing dairy cow mastitis treatment and improving overall cow health.
Why Somatic Cell Count Matters
The answers help you get a better picture of how the cows with chronic infections affect milk production versus the cows that have been free from infection. Tracking animal health data allows you to identify patterns and make informed decisions about cow treatment and herd health management.
Improving Mastitis Management in Your Herd
Watch the video below and let me know in the comments if there are any insights you see about mastitis in cows that could be discussed further:
With a solid understanding of the cows with a clean mastitis history, versus those that are recovering or have chronic infections, I can now take a look at how to better manage mastitis throughout my herd using my dairy herd management software. This includes monitoring cases in specific cow pens and tracking cow hospital entries for better overall dairy herd management.
Questions to Consider
- Where are these cases coming from?
- Are the cases seasonal or is it from certain pens?
- Are my milkers identifying mastitis before testing?
I'll continue to explore these questions. Share your thoughts in the comments—they might shape future videos!
This post is part 2 of a 3-part series on analyzing the effects of mastitis using dairy software. For more insights, check out other articles tagged mastitis. If you’d like to stay updated on future posts, subscribe now and choose immediate notifications.