Survey reveals 28% of milk producers keep cows dry for less than 56 days
A significant number of milk producers are now keeping cows dry for less than 56 days and could be heightening mastitis problems as a result, as well as limiting the opportunity to capitalise on milk hygiene bonus payments.
So suggest the findings from an independent dry cow management survey sponsored by Schering-Plough Animal Health. Over 200, randomly selected 100-cow plus milk producers in England, Wales and Scotland - responsible for around 30,000 cows - were interviewed earlier this year about issues surrounding their dry cow management protocol.
"Only 10% of the survey respondents could boast a rolling herd average of below 100,000 cells/ml; whilst 15% were over 200,000 cells/ml. That's an awful lot of farmers missing out on potential milk hygiene bonus payments," says Schering-Plough Animal Health veterinary adviser Andrew Montgomery
From a procedural drying off perspective, the survey findings suggest that whilst many milk producers are following recommended practices on issues such as the length of the dry period, a significant number - over a quarter
- are keeping animals dry for less than 56 days.
"Accepted research suggests the optimum dry period should be around 60 days," Andrew Montgomery stresses. "But in the survey, only two thirds of the respondents had a minimum dry period of at least the recommended 56 days."
When it comes to the effectiveness of the dry period in terms of helping to reduce the level of mastitis in the subsequent lactation, only 2% of the dairy farmers surveyed reported no signs of infection in the first week of lactation.
"It is always concerning to hear about farmers experiencing mastitis infections in early lactation. This could be because cows are being tubed with products that do not persist for the whole dry period," Andrew Montgomery suggests.
When it comes to making the choice of appropriate dry cow therapy, the key deciding factors amongst the survey respondents were - in terms of their priority ranking - knowing calving dates, persistency of cover, a good track record and the ability to offer broad spectrum cover against the key mastitis-causing pathogens.
It is good to see producers recognising the particular importance of the persistency of cover and the broad spectrum attributes of products like Cepravin Dry Cow," Andrew Montgomery says. "Whilst the main risk of infection in the dry udder occurs in the first two and last two weeks of the dry period, antibiotic persistence through to the end of the dry period will always be important. The other two important factors are a tube's effectiveness against all the key mastitis pathogens such as S.uberis, S.aureus and E.coli - the three main pathogens identified in the survey as the main cause of mastitis problems - and its ability to reduce cell counts.
Andrew Montgomery says that it is important for all milk producers to be on their guard against mirroring the rising national cell count trend in their own herds. Whilst increasing cell counts can be a reflection of an increasing proportion of older cows in a herd, some level of mastitis is also usually present. Consequently, effective disease management involves identifying the bacteria involved, treating offending cows accordingly and following with the most effective dry cow therapy regime.
