During the XXVI International Scientific Conference in Polanica-Zdrój, Prof. Volker Krömker from the University of Copenhagen discussed the risk factors for mastitis in cows and the udder health monitoring program, which is helpful in reducing the risk of mastitis in the herd, which is carried out to determine the initial state, assess the effectiveness of implemented solutions and therapies, and detect problems at an early stage.
– Knowledge of the risk factors for the development of infection is crucial not only to determine the health status of the udder in the entire herd, but also allows for making optimal management decisions – explained the speaker.
Udder health monitoring program – 7 parameters
The udder health monitoring parameters mentioned by Prof. Krömker include:
- Percentage of animals with healthy udder
- Percentage of chronically ill individuals who are resistant to treatment
- Percentage of new mastitis cases in the herd
- Risk of developing new infections during dry period
- Percentage of animals cured during drying off
- Mastitis in heifers
- Documentation of clinical mastitis cases
1. Percentage of animals with a healthy udder
The first indicator indicated by the speaker was the percentage of lactating animals with a healthy udder (< 100 thousand somatic cells in the last test milking) among all lactating animals.
– This global parameter enables the assessment of health problems, as well as their duration. Objects characterized by a good and very good health status achieve a result of more than 70 percent healthy udders. If the desired values are not achieved, the cause may be a high number of new infections during lactation or drying off, a high number of mastitis cases among heifers or too late culling of animals resistant to treatment. The cause may also be poor therapeutic results due to ineffective treatment, but this is rare on German farms – said Prof. Krömker. – Although the remaining risk factors require further analysis, it is possible to clearly identify the causes of the state of affairs – he added.
2. Percentage of chronically ill patients who are resistant to treatment
The percentage of chronically ill animals that are resistant to treatment is equally important. This number reflects the number of animals that cannot be cured (three somatic cell counts above 700,000/ml) in relation to all lactating animals, as the speaker pointed out.
– This indicator should reach the lowest possible values, optimally below 1%. However, in order to achieve the longest possible lifespan of cows, it is necessary to achieve a balance between the occurrence of mastitis and the period of use of cows, taking into account the parameter in question – noted Prof. Krömker.
In the speaker’s opinion, the factors that cause an increase in this parameter include late elimination of chronically ill animals resistant to treatment, resulting from incorrectly defined goals, failure to conduct antibiotic therapy during the dry period in infected animals, as well as the use of ineffective treatment methods.
3. Percentage of new mastitis cases in the herd
Another indicator mentioned by the speaker was the percentage of new cases of mastitis in the herd. This parameter describes the ratio of animals with a LKS of less than 100,000 cells/ml to the number of animals with a LKS of less than 100,000 cells/ml during the previous examination. The desired result is a value below 11%. This number allows for the assessment of the quality of hygiene, cleanliness, management and milking procedures, as the speaker explained.
He also pointed out that the factors contributing to the occurrence of new cases of mastitis during lactation are the excessive accumulation of microorganisms at the ends of the teat, as well as stress.
The next steps should be to assess the hygiene and cleanliness of the teats and udders as well as the condition of the teats.
4. Risk of developing new infections in the dry state
It is also important to assess the risk of developing new infections during the dry period. This number indicates the ratio of cows whose LKS does not exceed 100,000 cells/ml at the last milking before drying off and those whose LKS exceeds 100,000 cells/ml at the first post-calving examination among cows whose LKS did not exceed 100,000 cells/ml before drying off. In this case, the desired result is less than 15%.
Prof. Krömker indicated that herd-specific risk factors influencing the risk of developing inflammation during the dry period include: improper hygiene of the environment (e.g. bedding), improper administration of medications, ineffective drying off, frequency of disease occurrence, deviations from the diet that covers the demand for nutrients, failure to use teat canal blockers. Additionally, individual factors for each animal, such as the presence of damaged secretory tissue due to previous inflammations, also influence this parameter.
5. Percentage of animals cured during the drying period
Another indicator indicated by the speaker was the percentage of animals cured during drying off. This is defined as the ratio of animals in which the LKS exceeded 100,000 cells/ml before drying off to animals in which the LKS was below 100,000 cells/ml after delivery, among animals with the LKS above 100,000 cells/ml before drying off. The desired value of this parameter is 70% and more, as noted by Prof. Krömker.
As he pointed out, the most important factors influencing the low recovery rate after dry-off therapy include: a high risk of developing new infections in the dry-off state, too many chronically ill or treatment-resistant animals, as well as complete abandonment of the use of antibiotic therapy in the dry-off state.
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6. Mastitis in heifers
Another important indicator mentioned by Prof. Krömker was the occurrence of mastitis among heifers. This parameter describes the occurrence of mastitis among heifers. It is expressed by the ratio of the number of primiparous heifers whose LKS exceeds 100,000 cells/ml in the first control milking to the number of all heifers. The speaker emphasized that the value of this parameter should not exceed 18%. In many primiparous heifers, the LKS decreases in the second month of lactation due to self-healing. Nevertheless, a high value of this parameter indicates the occurrence of mastitis in heifers.
The most common risk factors for the development of pre-partum mastitis included: mutual suckling, premature opening of the teat canal before parturition combined with insufficient hygiene of the environment, significant swelling of the teats before parturition, vitamin E and selenium deficiency, late age at first calving, above-average high productivity of heifers in the first lactation. In turn, among the factors acting after calving and influencing the increase of this indicator are: incorrect operation of milking equipment, negligence in the field of milking hygiene during the first weeks of lactation. Flies are also mentioned among the factors contributing to the spread of infections among heifers, and are also one of the causes of infections caused by mycoplasmas.
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7. Documentation of clinical mastitis cases
Prof. Krömker emphasized that in addition to subclinical mastitis, clinical mastitis should also be documented on farms. This documentation should include information on the degree of advancement of individual cases, in accordance with the IDF guidelines:
- mild – changes in milk;
- moderate – changes in milk and glandular tissue;
- severe – as in moderate cases with concomitant general symptoms.
Prof. Krömker stated that comparing this data with other facilities, taking into account the distribution of microorganisms on the farm, allows for the identification of irregularities and risk factors. Factors influencing animal health include feeding that meets the animals' energy requirements, meeting the need for trace elements and vitamins, uniform dry matter intake and the frequency of perinatal diseases.
– By precisely identifying the appropriate risk factors in the event of deviations from the desired values of the above-mentioned indicators, it is possible to introduce changes in management at the herd level. The effectiveness of the implemented solutions can be monitored by changing the values of the described parameters – the speaker summed up.
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