Lecturer:

Vita Būde - Gaile, Veterinarian,

Healthy Farm Solutions Ltd., Latvia

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Everyone wants

• More milk

• More productive days during lactation

• More lactations

• Less work

• More money

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What do we demand from a cow?

• Give birth to a 45 kg calf

• Reduce the uterus by 50% in the first hours after calving

• Share the power of immunity with a calf

• To produce 9.5 -11.5 liters of colostrum.

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In fact

With every 23 kg of dairy cow gives us :

• 1 kg of sugar (lactose)

• 161 g of minerals (0.69 g / dl)

• approx. 1 kg of milk protein

• approx. 1 kg of butterfat

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Excellent champion!

That is why we need to provide for the cow

• special comfort

• good care

• preventive treatments

• good feed 24 hours a day

• freedom to express natural behavior

Let's start with anatomy

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•A cubic inch of udder tissue contains millions of alveoli. Each alveolus is richly fed by blood vessels and

surrounded by muscle fibers known as myoepithelial cells. Oxytocin acts on these cells to cause milk let down.

Each alveolus is formed by a layer of

muscle and a network of capillaries

• When milking begins, oxytocin enters the bloodstream and causes muscle contraction in the alveolar wall.

• The first touch to udder skin stimulates the entry of oxytocin into the bloodstream (brain signal).

• Without oxytocin, cows cannot participate in milking!

Oxytocin

Oxytocin support milking

for only 6 minutes!

What is a GOOD cow?

• Bring one calf a year

• SCC less than 100 000 ml of milk

• Produces milk 300-320 days a year

• At least 6 lactations remain in the herd.

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What is a good and healthy udder?

• No skin damage

• No teat tip damage

• No swelling, no pain and inflammation

• All quarters equally developed, are usable

• Well developed teat sphincter

• Good anatomical shape

• Produces milk

• SCC less than 100,000/ml

Isclean!

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Clean udders can be

on any farm!

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Clean and dirty udder on one farm.

Why is this happening?11

THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS AND BEDS IN A GROUP IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN GOOD UDDER HEALTH

FORMULA = 1:1+10%

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Udder cleanliness

• Linked to the cow's ability to use their own bed

• Related to the cleanliness of the bed

• Related to humidity and ammonia content in the barn

• Related to the cleanliness of the corridors

• Correlates with feet, hoof, thigh cleanliness

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Udder cleanliness and SCC

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

1 2 3 4 5

Very clean Clean Very dirtyDirtyA little dirty

Ave

rag

e S

CC

in b

ulk

milk

80%

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Dirty legs = hard work and

high SCC 17

Dirty beds – high SCC

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Dirty aisles floors and beds – badudder health and many lame cows!

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The curtains can be opened if autside T⁰ is above -5⁰C

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SAMPLE:• 50 cows; yield 7000 kg; SCC = 400 000/ml

• 50 x 7000 kg = 350 000 kg/year/per farm

• 350 tons + 3,8% = 353 800 t/year

it is a 3,8 t/year more = 3800 kg x 0,37 EUR = + 1406 EUR/year

GOAL:SCC less than 200 th/ml milkSCC more than 200 th = less than 20% cows,

SCCLost milk

%

150 000 0

200 000 0,8

250 000 1,5

300 000 2,3

400 000 3,8

500 000 5,3

NOTBAD!

The higher the SCC, the

less milk!

Bacteria do not need much to multiply well:

• Feed (organic matter)

• Moderately acidic environment

• From + 5°C to + 60°C

• Time

• Humidity (water)

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X

Wet, dirty beds are an ideal environment for bacteria to

"live"

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Reducing humidity on surfaces, aisles, air and beds will definitely reduce the density of infections in barns!

• Dry environment = a convincing victory over any infection!

Facts:• Cows with bacteria in the udder usually also show

elevated SCC in milk

• Infection from cow to cow is most often transmitted during milking

• It is equally important to detect infected cows as soon as possible, because only then can the spread of bacteria be stopped

• Infected cows endanger all animals in the farm!

Infected cows become the cause of mastitis in

other cows!28

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Somatic cells and cows

health

What are somatic cells

• Cells belonging to the body that have entered the milk.

• SCC = number of different cells in 1 ml of milk.

• Milk always contains a certain number of cells:

• leukocytes,

• epithelial cells

• If the udder is healthy, SCC in milk does not exceed100 th/ml.

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Where does cells come from?

• When bacteria (infection) enter the body, the number of immune cells in the blood increases rapidly.

• These immune cells, along with the blood, enter the udder tissue at the site of infection.

• The "task" of immune cells is to kill pathogens that can cause disease.

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Somatic cellsPresent in all body fluids

Leukocytes and Epithelial cells

Healthy udder: SCC = less than 100,000 /mlStart of problem: more than 150,000 /ml

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Epithelial cell

Milk

Leucocite

Blood

vesselPathogens

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Interpretation of the result

Reaction SCC/mlLose milk from the diseased quarter

0 – no changes <=100,000 0-5%

viscosity changes 200-300,0008%

(fight for health)

1 – onset of gel formation

300-900,0009 - 18% (subclinical

mastitis)

2 – liquid gel 900-2,700,00019 - 25%

(clinical mastitis)

3 - gel >8,100,000 Problems to treat

34It can be cured quickly

Somatic cells are our helpers!

• Somatic cells are a ‘’mirror” of cow / herd health.

• Changes in SCC can be used to get an overall picture of the health of the herd and the usefulness of the change / treatment introduced.

• SC informs us and helps to predict.

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Somatic cells help to understand

Cell countProportion of infected

cows

<100 000 5-6%

200-299 000 12-17%

300-399 000 34-34%

400-499 000 38-45%

500-599 000 51-58%

>600 000 61-79%

Loss due to high somatic cell count

Reduction of milk yield per cow kg / day:

• 50,000* 0 kg/day

• 100,000* 0.7 kg/day

• 200,000* 1.4 kg/day

• 400,000* 2.1 kg/day* SCC in tank

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How does the infection enter

the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

Through the teat channel if

the post dip is not accurate

enough!

41How does the infection get into the body?

42How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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How does the infection get into the body?

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Subclinical mastitis

Udder health

• Bad udder health is the most common cause of SC growth

• Associated with errors in feeding and care

• Related to housing and milking hygiene

• Related to the general health of the cow (immunity)

• Associated with cow's appetite and hoofhealth

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Lame cows eat and drink too little and sleep for too long

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Enough time for bacteria to multiply!

(Rodenburg, 1990)

90% of all cases of mastitis are subclinical and do not cause visible changes in the udder or milk, and are hidden!

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90%

Subclinical mastitis

▪ Milk yield begins to decline if SCC exceeds 100 th/ml.

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Subclinical mastitis

• Invisible to the eye, but there is a disease!

• As a problem in almost all herds

• Affects 15-75% of animals

• Often reminiscent of mysticism ...

• Often not considered a problem ...

• Identification based on milk records data only!

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Why pay attention to the treatment of subclinical mastitis?

1. Subclinical mastitis brings the greatest economic losses in dairy farming!

2. Subclinically sick animals infect others!

3. Clinical mastitis is much harder to treat!

4. The use of antimicrobials must be reduced!

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What can reduce SCC?

1. Properly organized work in parlour.

2. Technically arranged milking equipment (milk flow, vacuum)

3. Observing all rules during milking (order, floors, hygiene)

4. Immediate treatment of all mastitis cases.

5. Elimination of chronically infected cows.

6. Dry cow treatment.

7. Improving resistance (vitamins & minerals)

8. Correct teat disinfection.

9. Recognition and search for subclinical mastitis.

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• Mastitis checks should be made by drawing one or two squirts of milk out of each quarter and visually examining on black background the milk for any signs of mastitis

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Cup for

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Never on the floor, hands or boot -

this is a good way to spread mastitis

And more

• If you use reading glasses, you should also wear them when working in milking parlour.

• The cow's teats and udder must be very well lit (400 lux).

Your task:notice the tiniest clot in the first jets of milk!

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THE MOST COMMON MISTAKES

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When clean is not clean at all ...

• washing time

• kg at a time

• washing t⁰

• used powders

• drying and cooling

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As many disposable materials as possible!

The udder can also be infected by hand ...

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twisted tubes

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twisted tubes

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twisted tubes

And consequences

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Consequences

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Consequences

HYPERKERATOSIS

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The cause of hyperkeratosis

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Overmilking• When and how does it happen?

– at the beginning of milking

– at the end of milking

• Overmilking starts when the milk flow to the teat cistern is less than the flow out of the teat canal

• Overmilking damages the skin, mucous membranes and muscles of the teat, leading to mastitis.

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POST-MILKING DISINFECTION

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Has disinfection taken place?

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Rules for disinfecting teats

• At least 75-90% of the length of the teat is completely covered with the product

• Rinsing the floor is strictly forbidden before Post-dip!

• The most valuable are thick disinfectants with emollients (heals micro wounds)

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What's a great milker’s job?Accurate and hygienically perfectperformance of the following actions:• Fore-STRIPPING, INSPECTIONone or two squirts of milk out of each quarter and visually examining the milk for any signs of mastitis• CLEANING, DESINFECTION, WIPINGteats may be sanitised with a predip product either before stripping or after(improved bacteria kills can be realised if the teats are sanitised before stripping)• ATTACHMENT (silent application of the milking machine to dry teats)teat cups should be attached as close to 90 seconds as possible (to stimulate thecow, the teats should be manipulated for 10-12 sec.)• CHECKING and correction of the position of the milking machine in relation to

the udder• POST DIP • DISINFECTION OF THE MILKING MACHINE before the next cow, if

recommended

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N.B. FORE-STRIPPING ALSO REMOVES HIGH BACTERIA

MILK

Important

• A cow is a highly sensitive animal, reacting to fear and pain...

• Fear and pain cause a second hormone, adrenalin, to enter the blood stream, blocking oxytocin, the let-down hormone.

• No painfull manipulations in parlour!

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• The cows must be clean and calm!

• Adrenaline is released during excitement (even before milking)!

• Adrenaline prevents the release of oxytocin!

• Cows that are worried can slip, start defecating, injure themselves, people and equipment.

• Excitement created for 30 min. before milking definitely reduces milk yield (up to 40%)!

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Milking sequence

• First-calvers and fresh cows are milked first

• Cows with high SCC are milked penultimate

• Visibly, or clinically ill cows milk the last

• Tapes or markings are used for identification.

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Important information

• 50% of mastitis cases are related to the technical condition of milking equipment or the work of milkers (vacuum level, pulsation ratio, amount of remaining milk, condition of rubber parts etc.)

• Low SCC is never accidental!

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