Did you struggle with mastitis cases amongst your non-lactating cows this winter?

Here are a few tips to help keep your herd healthy during the dry period:   

• Keep cows that have been dried off away from the milking shed for 10-14 days. Movement near this area can cause them to let their milk down.

• Keep them off wet, muddy paddocks if possible, especially in those first few days post dry-off.

• Keep them calm, and move them slowly to new paddocks so they don’t kick up muck.

• After two weeks, ideally bring the whole herd in and teat spray them.

• Observe your cows in the paddock in the weeks after drying them off. Any with red or swollen looking quarters of their udder should be brought in to be checked and treated.

• If treating with Dry Cow, treat only the infected quarter. The reduced blood flow in unaffected quarters can cause the inhibitory substances to remain in the udder into spring, when you’ll want their milk to be going into the vat!

Have a yarn with your vet about how wintertime went for your herd. If you saw a lot of mastitis, we can help you put together a plan for next year.