Mastitis: protect udders, milk and income

Mastitis is an infection of the udder, usually caused by bacteria entering through the teat. It lowers milk yield, spoils milk quality and can permanently damage a quarter. It affects dairy goats and sheep as well as cows.

Two types

• Clinical mastitis: you can see it. The milk has clots, flakes or blood, or looks watery. The quarter is hot, swollen or painful. Some cows get a fever and stop eating.
• Subclinical mastitis: the milk looks normal, but yield drops and the bacteria spread to other cows. It is far more common than clinical mastitis.

You can find subclinical mastitis with a California Mastitis Test (CMT). Mix a little milk from each quarter with the test liquid on a paddle. If it thickens into a gel, that quarter is infected.

Clean milking routine

• Milk in a clean, dry place and wash your hands first.
• Clean the teats and dry each cow with her own cloth or paper towel.
• Squirt the first milk from each teat into a strip cup and check for clots.
• Milk gently and completely.
• Dip each teat in a teat disinfectant straight after milking.
• Give feed after milking so cows stand while the teat ends close.
• Milk cows with mastitis last, and keep their milk separate.

On the farm

• Keep bedding and lying areas clean and dry, and control flies.
• Treat teat injuries quickly.
• Ask your vet about dry cow treatment when you stop milking.
• Record every case. Cows that keep getting mastitis may need to be culled.

Treatment

Your vet will choose the right medicine. Finish the full course, and do not sell or drink milk until the withdrawal period on the label has passed. Do not feed treated milk to calves.

This guide is general information. It is not a substitute for advice from a vet who has examined your animals.