Transcript Mastitis_Talk_Lyd_Valley

Mastitis.
Farmers perceptionWhat mastitis means to a vet.
Mastitis
In reality, increasing drug
sales should set alarm
bells ringing and provoke
an appraisal of parlour
function and milking
protocols.
Define Mastitis.
Inflammation of the udder
• Clinical
• Subclinical
• Depends on the level of active
immune response & visible
external changes.
£ Costs ?
You tell me!
• Clinical case?
• Sub-clinical cases
• Clinical case >£100
• SCC>200= £250 per
100000litres.
• SCC>500=£500
• At todays price 1-2% reduction
in profit.
• Cost of a cull!!!!
Targets.
• Mastitis Rate <40
• BSCC <150
Mastitis Rate?
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•
Number of cases per 100 cows per year.
Each recurrence is a ‘new’ case.
But don’t forget to record the data!!!!
Annual Cell Counts- UK, 1970-1999
The decline is impressive, even without the ‘wonky’ image!
The Five Point Plan.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Treat and record all clinical
cases.
Post Milking teat dip
Dry Cow therapy
Cull chronic cases
Regular Milking Machine
Maintenance!
At last he gets to the point!
To understand the impact of the milking machine we
must first understand• The different types of
mastitis.
• The cows natural
defence mechanisms.
• Contagious
• Environmental
Natural Defences
Skin
• Keratin- hostile environment
for bacteria 4-5 times thicker
than normal skin
• Fatty Acids- bacteriostatic
Natural Defences.
Teat Canal
• Cells and lipids- bacteriostatic
• Sphincter contractioninterlocking folds.
• Keratin secretion.
This process takes 30 mins after
milking to complete.
Natural Defences
Within the udder
• Lactoferrin
• Immunoglobulins?
• Inflammatory cells
Types of Mastitis.
Contagious- Staphs’n’streps-+ other special guests.
• Cow to cow during milking
• ‘Grow’ through the canal – slowly
• Herds with cell count ‘issues’.
Types of Mastitis.
Environmental
E.coli, Strep uberis+others!
Infection established following contamination of the teat end
which gains access to the udder!
• Dry period
• Propulsion during milking
• Open teat canals after milking.
Can the milking machine?
• Spread contagious
mastitis?
• Cause mastitis from
environmental bacteria?
• Alter natural defence
mechanisms?
• YES!!
Spread Contagious Mastitis?
LinersThe only piece of the milking
machine which comes into
contact with the cow!
2500- The magic number.
An (easy) example16/32 parlour milking 200 cows 2x day
Each liner visits 12.5 teats twice daily- or 25 teats per day.
So in 100 days it will have done 2500 milkings.
Absolute maximum lifespan is 6 months.
An expensive ‘solution’!
Liner disinfection is
potentially a huge step
forward.
But look critically at all
available options for
achieving this.
Spread Contagious Mastitis
• Small claw pieces
• Blocked bleed holes
Cause flooding of short milk tubes and spread of infection
between quarters.
Mastitis from Environmental Bacteria.
The milking machine
provides the opportunity
for propulsion into the
udder.
Impact Forces
Potential Reasons.
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•
•
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Wet teats
Worn liners
Low vacuum
Vacuum variation!!
Impact forces-Vacuum
•
•
•
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10s to reach full vacuum
Check the guage!
Check it against the last report!!
Is the same vacuum maintained from 1st to last cluster?
Impact forces-Vacuum
It’s vital to be able to monitor
the guage from within the
pit.
Good eyesight often
essential!
Vacuum
Incredible eyesight
sometimes necessary!
Through solid walls!
Impact forces-Vacuum Variation
Reserve!
• 1 in 5 rule.
• Max 2kPa drop
• Max 3s recovery
Impact forces-Vacuum variation
An efficient plant should be able to
leak air through a number of
clusters equivalent to the
number of milkers + 1 with
little effect on vacuum.
Vacuum variation.
Proper function of the
regulator is vital to
maintain a constant
vacuum level.
Vacuum variation.
Dust free filters essential!
Natural teat defences
Simple observation of teats
immediately tells us if
natural defences are being
compromised.
Natural Teat Defences
Natural Teat Defences
Teat end damage will be caused by excessive vacuum or
excessive exposure to vacuum.
Let the cows tell you- watch their behaviour towards the end
of milkout.
Natural Teat Defences
Natural Teat Defences.
D phase is vital for massage and blood flow to minimise teat
end damage.
Optimum setting 200ms
Natural Teat Defences
Increased time to milkout will increase exposure time to
vacuum.
• Worn, tired liners will lengthen the A phase
• Cracked rubberware on pulsator tubes prevents full
opening of liners.
Natural Teat Defences
ACR function.
Default setting on installation
usually 200ml min.
400ml min probably
minimum.
Can often reach 600ml min
without yield drop.
Do not override for ‘slow’
cows- they just get slower
and no yield benefit.
Natural Teat Defences
High yielding cow, peak
flow.
Pressure at teat end.
Variation due to milk slugs
hitting the claw piece and
moving down the long
milk tube.
Not unusual to fall to 28kPa
Natural Teat Defences
ACR switched off.
End flow.
Natural Teat Defences
Aim is to minimise exposure time to increased vacuum as
flow rates drop.
This should reduce the chance of teat end damage.
The Good News
Optimal parlour function to reduce mastitis incidence will
also increase efficiency, reducing time spent in parlour.
• Correct pulsation- Adding 20ms to the B phase could
equate to 73 hrs per year!! (4% decrease in milkout time,
=12 mins day, 365 days).
• Optimal ACR function- potentially even greater effect in
herringbone or rapid exit parlours. No longer waiting on
‘slow’ cows.
Regular Servicing
Performing 12 monthly servicing often equates to going
72000 miles between services in your car!
Would you?- if your livelihood depended on a safe,
functioning vehicle.
Dynamic Testing
Critical appraisal of parlour
function during milking
time is the only way to
assess the effect the plant
is having on the cows.
With Thanks to• Peter Edmondson and Roger Blowey- for the use of some
images from Mastitis Control in Dairy Herds.
• Matt Gough (11)- for creating a lot of the presentation.