Mastitis

Your Vet Recommended RT-PCR for Mastitis — Now What?

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:03:57 GMT

If your veterinarian is recommending RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction), it’s usually tied to a specific frustration point on the dairy. That might be repeated “no growth” culture results, ongoing contagious mastitis challenges or a high number of clinical cases without clear answers.

As Dr. Jim Rhoades, veterinarian with IDEXX, put it:

“PCR is not new, but it may be new to some of our producers. It’s a tool that is really applicable to diagnosing mastitis on commercial dairy farms now. Getting good, timely information to make management decisions is probably undervalued in many cases.”

At its core, this isn’t about adding another test. It’s about getting clearer, more actionable information to guide management decisions. RT-PCR is one key in the advancement of technology for mastitis detection and prevention .

What RT-PCR Actually Does

RT-PCR works by detecting the genetic fingerprint of bacteria rather than trying to grow them in the lab.

Here’s the simple version:

Every pathogen has unique DNA. RT-PCR takes a milk sample mixed with fluorescence-tagged pathogen-specific DNA primers and runs it through repeated heating and cooling cycles that facilitate the amplification of the target pathogen DNA. As that DNA builds up through the cycles, a fluorescent signal increases, and once that signal crosses a defined threshold, the test reads as positive.

This amplification process is what allows PCR to detect even very small amounts of bacteria that culture might miss.

“PCR is grounded in specific genetic sequences that make the bacteria the bacteria. It is very specific to a single target. We’re not casting a wide net to see what grows. We’re looking for specific pathogens or groups of pathogens,” Rhoades explains.

How to Interpret a PCR Result

Instead of colony counts, PCR reports a cycle threshold, or Ct value. This reflects how many amplification cycles, the repeated heating and cooling cycles, were needed before bacterial DNA was detected via fluorescence.

The key takeaway is straightforward:

Low Ct = more bacteria present
High Ct = less bacterial DNA present

That’s the opposite of what most people are used to with culture, but once understood, it becomes a reliable way to gauge how significant a result may be.

Why PCR Can Still Be Positive When Culture Isn’t

In practical terms, culture depends on live bacteria being able to grow, while PCR detects DNA whether or not those organisms are still viable, which is why it can pick up infections that culture misses.

“With PCR we can have positive results that may have been negative with culture. It can give us information we may not have gotten from culture,” Dr. Pamela Adkins, associate professor of food animal medicine at the University of Missouri, says. “About 30% of clinical mastitis cases will come back culture-negative. When we use PCR, we find only 8% of those cases are actually negative.”

In practice, PCR is especially useful when:

Bacterial levels are too low to grow in culture
The cow has already started clearing the infection
Sample handling reduces bacterial viability

One of the most important things to understand is that PCR detects DNA, not necessarily live bacteria.

“The immune system may clear the pathogen, which is great. If that happens too quickly, we may not get an answer from culture, but the PCR will still be positive,” Adkins explains.

This is where interpretation is important. A PCR-positive result doesn’t always mean an active infection that needs treatment; it may reflect a recent infection that has already resolved.

Where PCR Fits and What to Do With It

PCR is best thought of as part of a broader diagnostic approach rather than a replacement for existing tools. Rather than replacing culture, it complements it by adding speed and sensitivity, particularly in situations where traditional methods fall short.

“These are all tools and we need to use all the tools in our toolbox,” Rhoades says.

In practice, PCR adds the most value when it helps you step back and understand what is happening at the herd level. It can identify infections that would otherwise be missed, clarify what pathogens are driving mastitis on your farm and point toward more effective prevention strategies.

For producers, that translates into a few key advantages:

A clearer picture of what’s actually in the herd
Better ability to reduce spread of contagious pathogens
More confidence in targeted, cost-effective decisions

When used correctly, RT-PCR can give you the information needed to make better decisions with fewer surprises, fewer missed infections and more control over the problem.

To learn more about how mastitis detection, prevention and treatment are changing, check out the following episode of “ The Bovine Vet Podcast ”.

Before it Begins: The Next Major Shift in Mastitis Management

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:33:12 GMT

The next major shift in mastitis management will not come from faster treatment or better cure rates but from detecting mastitis risk earlier — before symptoms become clinically apparent, before somatic cell counts rise and before irreversible damage to the mammary tissue occurs. This is encompassed by a shift from confirmation to prediction and from reaction to prevention.

Mastitis Detection is Shifting from Reactive to Predictive

When asked what his ideal mastitis detection situation would be, Dr. Justin Hess of Clinton Veterinary Services was quick to bring up prevention first. While it would be nice to have an automated system flagging mastitic cows at infection onset, he believes the real future is stopping it before it begins.

“Cure is a lot harder than prevention. It’s always easier to keep a cow from getting mastitis than to fix it later,” Hess says. “[Even if] a system is better at detecting mastitis, you’re always going to be behind the 8-ball in the first place, where the goal is to prevent it altogether.”

Traditional mastitis detection has been largely retrospective. Abnormal milk, elevated conductivity, increased somatic cell count or visible inflammation signal disease is already established. The emerging goal of mastitis detection systems is to identify subtle deviations — such as minute changes in rest time, rumination or quarter-level yields — early enough to intervene before disease fully develops.

(Amanda Story, Rose Memories Photography LLC)

Can Technology Identify the Bacteria Causing Mastitis?

Alongside earlier detection, there is growing interest in providing more information about what type of mastitis may be developing. Current animal health detection systems are strong at identifying abnormality, but weak at characterization. Looking at the future of automatic health monitoring systems, Dr. Alon Arazi, chief veterinarian at Afimilk, sees two areas of opportunity.

“I think the two main things that will probably change in the future are, one, we are lagging in the ability to detect subclinical mastitis. The other thing is to not just diagnose mastitis, but also to give some information about the cause,” Arazi says.

One of the things he is hoping they will soon be able to do is determine the type of bacteria causing mastitis.

“I believe that soon we will be able to give some information on if it’s Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria and then help the farmer make a decision about treatment,” Arazi says.

With this information, more targeted antibiotics could be chosen without having to wait for milk culture results. This supports antimicrobial stewardship, allowing farmers to potentially avoid unnecessary antibiotic use in cases that may self-resolve or require a different course of action.

The Power of the Data-Driven Team

The preventive impact of these systems extends beyond individual cows; it changes how the farm staff and consultants interact.

“The system is working on the cow level as well as the group level and the herd level. We try to look at all aspects of the farm,” Arazi says.

When looking through a broader scope, early deviations may indicate upstream management issues — such as bedding consistency or parlor hygiene — that elevate mastitis risk across multiple animals simultaneously. In that sense, future detection systems are as much about identifying system-level vulnerability as they are about flagging individual cows.

This is where the team-based aspect becomes critical. Once an operation has established the characteristic norms of their herd, the data becomes a shared language between the producer, the parlor staff and the veterinarian.

“Once you have the data, you can analyze it looking backward. Not just what is happening now, but what was the situation in the past? How did things progress? It can help you understand where you should put your money,” Arazi says.

As mastitis detection becomes more predictive and informative, the role of veterinarians evolves rather than diminishes. Interpretation, prioritization and integration remain essential. Technology may identify risk, but the team — the farmer and the vet — determines the response by balancing biology, economics, welfare and practicality. The future of mastitis detection is not automation replacing expertise, but better information supporting a unified team in earlier, smarter intervention.

Ultimately, success will be measured not by how quickly mastitis is treated, but by how often it is prevented from occurring at all.

Having spent their careers at the intersection of veterinary medicine and dairy technology, Hess and Arazi share a common passion for evolving how we look at herd health. On the first episode of “ The Bovine Vet Podcast ”, they join host Andrea Bedford to discuss why mastitis is much more than a simple infection.

Why We Need Technology and Human Expertise to Close The Mastitis Detection Gap

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:51:54 GMT

Mastitis detection remains constrained by parlor realities. Modern dairies are designed to maximize throughput, leaving little margin for detailed milk inspection on every cow at every milking. Even highly trained milkers can overlook subtle milk changes or early signs of disease when operating under fatigue, time pressure and competing demands.

“With how fast parlors are being pushed, workers are asked to milk more cows in shorter amounts of time. To look at and examine milk thoroughly for 8- or 12-hour shifts, it doesn’t always happen on every single cow,” says Dr. Justin Hess of Clinton Veterinary Services. “You’d be amazed at how much you can actually miss.”

Subclinical mastitis is particularly vulnerable to underdetection because it requires intentional testing that is accompanied by labor, cost and workflow implications.

Improving mastitis outcomes depends less on detection itself and more on what happens afterward. Farms today are generating more information than ever, but that information does not automatically translate into better decisions. Sound mastitis protocols need to be in place and understood by all on a dairy.

“If you try to develop a protocol, and the management team isn’t on board and you don’t have the right people in place, you’re going to struggle and probably make things more difficult,” Hess explains. “We like to keep things simple but effective.”

These protocols largely include management choices surrounding animal density, mastitis detection methods and even the choice of bedding in the stalls.

Concerning mastitis detection methods, on-farm culturing demonstrates the tension between simple and complex protocols well.

(Rose Memories Photography LLC)

“Culturing on-farm can be a struggle because of the increase in labor and having a dedicated person to do it. You also need the knowledge and desire to do it and do it correctly,” Hess says.

When farms have dedicated personnel, clear interpretation guidelines and confidence in how results will be used, culturing can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and improve outcomes. When those conditions are absent, culturing may delay treatment without changing behavior, prompting farms to revert to broad-spectrum approaches for the sake of speed.

The challenge isn’t just the size of the farm, but the speed at which data must be converted into a treatment decision.

As the limitations of manual culturing and visual inspection become more apparent, the industry is shifting toward passive detection — systems that monitor the cow without requiring extra labor hours.

To address the complexity of dairy systems, Dr. Alon Arazi, chief veterinarian at Afimilk, hopes consolidating data generated by monitoring animals in existing protocols will help refine management and improve animal health.

“All this data is being gathered into one piece of software in which we do the analysis to detect mastitis,” Arazi says.

Sensor systems can also be used to detect mastitis based on deviations from the norm at a cow level. This baseline varies for each cow, meaning you need historical data for comparison.

“The main way to detect mastitis is based on what’s normal [for that animal]. Increased conductivity of a cow or dropped lactose to a lower level than is expected. This is mainly happening with clinical mastitis,” Arazi says. “One of the problems with subclinical mastitis is that the changes sometimes are very, very low and very hard to detect. In that case, we are looking for more and more sophisticated modeling algorithms that combine more and more things together to see things that are just starting to change.”

Mastitis Indicators Used in Automated Monitoring Systems

Automated monitoring systems identify cows suspected of mastitis by analyzing multiple milk and cow-level parameters simultaneously, rather than relying on a single signal. Key indicators include:

Milk conductivity
- Increased electrical conductivity associated with changes in ion flow during mastitis
- One of the primary and earliest milk signals used
Milk yield
- Sudden or unexpected drops in production relative to the cow’s baseline
Lactose concentration
- Decreases in lactose production when udder function is impaired
- Possible lactose leakage from milk or utilization by bacteria
Milk flow / milking dynamics
- Changes in milk flow rate that may reflect udder discomfort or inflammation
Rumination patterns
- Decreases in rumination associated with illness or discomfort
Eating behavior / dry matter intake
- Reduced intake relative to expected performance
Activity and behavior changes
- Deviations from individual cow behavioral baselines

This collected data is then compared and put into context on the individual, group and herd levels. Mastitis alerts are generated by combining multiple indicators, rather than any single threshold.

These disparate data points, along with the sheer volume of data, are where machine learning thrives.

“AI or machine learning will allow you to detect things that, even for us, are hard to see now. This for sure will improve subclinical detection,” Arazi predicts.

These systems aim to provide directional insight that shortens the time between detection and action by reducing the workload and finding changes in cow performance before they would be noticed by a worker. Catching a case 24 hours earlier could be the difference between a quick recovery and a culled cow.

“You don’t have to check every cow because the system has checked every cow two or three times in a day depending on how many milkings there are,” Arazi says. “You get the information, and you get the option to catch things earlier than people can see with their eyes.”

The Human Filter: Why Detection Requires Interpretation

Alerts without context quickly become noise. High alert frequency, poor specificity or unclear next steps can erode trust in the system. This is where veterinary intervention can help a dairy understand what they’re seeing and how best to act.

Hess stressed the questions he poses to dairies implementing updated mastitis detection protocols: “When you have that information, what are you going to do with that information? Are you going to actually change your protocols?”

Having more data is only useful for improving animal management if accompanied by a plan to act on what that data is telling you.

(Afimilk)

Technologies offering continuous observation and reduced reliance on human detection can introduce risks related to accuracy, workflow fit and trust. There is also the worry of false alerts.

“We can still improve accuracy, reduce false alerts and get more sensitivity,” Arazi says, speaking on the Afimilk system for mastitis detection.

These systems are, of course, not infallible. As with all hardware, there are uncontrollable hiccups that need to be considered when looking at the data generated.

“There are some critical parts of measuring conductivity,” Hess says. “If milk is moving or if air gets into the system, it can affect the sensitivity or the reading on it.”

At their core, these tools are designed to flag abnormal patterns, not to dictate diagnoses or management decisions. Alerts of deviations are only meaningful after interpretation by people who understand the cows, the parlor and the operation of the farm. Without the human layer, accurate detection risks becoming background noise.

“The only thing worse than no data is having wrong or misleading data,” Hess says.

The limitation is not simply technological, but decisional. This becomes most apparent when detection systems skew too far toward sensitivity at the expense of specificity. Highly sensitive tools identify earlier or more subtle changes, but they also generate more false positives. Each unnecessary alert pulls time and attention away from other priorities.

At the other end of the spectrum, overly specific systems may miss early disease signals, limiting their preventative value. Effective mastitis detection depends on deliberate trade-offs, favoring actionable accuracy over alert volume. The future of the dairy isn’t just in the data collecting sensors, but in how the person in the office uses that data to provide better care for the cow.

How Technology is Changing the Game in Mastitis Prevention and Detection

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 22:14:24 GMT

Mastitis is commonly described as an infectious disease, but in real-world dairy systems, it behaves far more like a systems problem. Case rates and economic impact are shaped by the barn environment, milking routines, labor capacity and cow flow long before a pathogen is identified. Mastitis persists not because veterinarians and producers lack knowledge, but because it emerges from the interaction of multiple, interconnected management decisions.

From a practice perspective, mastitis is never truly absent on a dairy.

The Ever-Present Risk of Mastitis

“Mastitis is always something you’re managing. It’s ever-present on a dairy and something you try to manage, control, keep in check and improve upon,” says Dr. Justin Hess, veterinarian at Clinton Veterinary Services in Michigan. “It’s always at the forefront to some degree. You hope to have control measures in place and treatment protocols well developed to make it easy and fairly straightforward for a dairy, but it’s ever-present.”

(Rose Memories Photography LLC)

Even well-managed herds maintain a baseline level of mastitis that fluctuates with the season, staffing changes and parlor consistency. Therefore, the practical objective is control rather than eradication. Success is measured by manageable case rates, quick identification of infection, limited impact on bulk tank somatic cell counts and culling pressure.

“Management choices such as bedding type used in stalls, overcrowding and detection methods for mastitis can all influence the case rate,” Hess says.

This reality contrasts with the tendency to treat mastitis as an isolated event. In practice, spikes in mastitis often follow subtle changes in the environment or management system. Instead of just identifying a pathogen, the vet’s value lies in identifying the systemic failure that allowed the pathogen to thrive.

(Afimilk)

Integrating Data Into Clinical Insight

Dr. Alon Arazi, chief veterinarian at Afimilk, shares the perspective that mastitis is not just one thing, but one signal inside a much bigger system of animal health, welfare and performance. That’s where technology comes in, specifically animal health monitoring systems where signals from multiple biological inputs are combined to paint a bigger picture of cow health leading to diagnosis. Technology, such as the Afimilk system, allows for the collection of large data sets from both activity and milk monitoring hardware to help with mastitis prevention and detection. Patterns, or deviations from these patterns, can signal when a cow needs a closer look.

“Twenty years ago, a very small percentage of farms used this technology. Now they are using it much more; more farms on a larger scale,” Arazi says. “In the past it was only milk matter and milk production. Now we have much more information. Information about the behavior of the cow and also more information about the milk, such as components … which led us to improving the accuracy of [mastitis] detection.”

(Photo: Rose Memories Photography LLC)

These ideas converge on a critical point: There is not one single component of herd health management that dictates mastitis prevalence; it is the sum of the whole. New technologies improve our monitoring capabilities, but they must be applied with strong fundamentals, management and prevention practices.

Solving the Root Cause of Mastitis

“If you cull the top 5% or the top few highest cows as far as somatic cell count, you’ll remove those cows and that’s easy, right? But it doesn’t actually tell you what’s causing those cows to get to that place,” Hess says. “If you’re not changing something upstream, you’re always going to deal with an issue downstream.”

Ultimately, the shift from reactive treatment to proactive system management is what defines a modern, resilient dairy. As Dr. Hess and Dr. Arazi highlight, data and technology are powerful allies, but they function best when they empower the people on the ground to make better “upstream” decisions. By treating mastitis as a symptom of the system rather than a standalone event, dairies can move away from constant firefighting to a more predictable, profitable future.

Having spent their careers at the intersection of veterinary medicine and dairy technology, Dr. Hess and Dr. Arazi share a common passion for evolving how we look at herd health. On the first episode of The Bovine Vet Podcast , they join host Andrea Bedford to discuss why mastitis is much more than a simple infection. Together, they explore the “systems” approach to dairy management and share insights on how veterinarians and producers can use data and environment to stay ahead of the curve.

Managing Heifer Mastitis: Targeting Risk Before Freshening

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 20:44:54 GMT

Heifer mastitis is often underestimated because it occurs before an animal has even entered the milking string, but the impacts are long-lasting. Subclinical infections at calving are linked to reduced production across the entire first lactation and often throughout the cow’s lifetime. For a class of animals that has yet to return any of their rearing investment, those losses are magnified.

“It’s been identified that an animal with an increased somatic cell count in the early parts of their first lactation, those animals produce less milk throughout that first lactation and many times have decreased milk production throughout their lifetime,” says Dr. Pamela Adkins of the University of Missouri. “So we are starting out of the gate not performing as well as we could, which obviously can be quite expensive.”

Based on data presented by Adkins, what’s becoming increasingly clear from recent research is heifer mastitis is not simply early-lactation mastitis in small cows. The timing, pathogen profile and management leverage points are all distinct. Because most new infections occur before the heifer ever enters the parlor, this disease demands a prevention strategy tailored to prepartum animals.

How is mastitis in heifers different from mastitis in older cows?

Across multiple studies, higher incidences of clinical mastitis have been observed in heifers during the first few days of lactation compared to older cows.

“It’s likely that those heifers acquire those infections prior to the onset of lactation,” Adkins explains. “Therefore, a lot of our focus potentially needs to be before lactation.”

This represents a shift from how we think about lactating cows.

Culture studies of heifers reinforce this: 29% to 75% of quarters can be culture-positive before calving and over 80% may be positive at first calving and in early lactation. In older cows, early lactation infection rates tend to be around 30%.

What kinds of bacteria are causing heifer mastitis?

The types of pathogens causing infection in heifers differs from those of adult cows. Heifers show a high prevalence of infection with non-aureus staphylococci (NAS), a lower prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus, and a higher prevalence of Streptococcus spp. compared to multiparous cows.

NAS are the most common isolates in heifers, especially Staphylococcus chromogenes. These are generally considered minor mastitis pathogens as they cause only a minor inflammatory response, but Adkins advises not ignoring these bacteria because they are highly prevalent.

Interestingly, NAS infection has been linked with lower incidence of clinical mastitis, and NAS inhibit the growth of pathogen bacteria in lab settings. These results suggest NAS could have a protective effect, but Adkins acknowledges there is a lot more in vitro and in vivo work to be done on this topic.

While not the largest contributor to heifer mastitis, S. aureus infection is still common. However, without the usual parlor-based transmission pathways, the question becomes how these heifers are becoming infected.

“In older cows, we consider the parlor the major concern of where the pathogen is coming from. We know [S. aureus] can be contagious, spread from cow to cow, and we think about that happening during milking time,” Adkins says. “Obviously that’s not happening yet in heifers. Therefore, we need to think of other factors that are important in heifers.”

Some older work looked into where S. aureus was found across seven dairies. Looking beyond milk and colostrum, isolates were found on the udder skin, muzzle, rectum and vagina. Adkins proposes these body sites were an important source of S. aureus infection for heifers. These infections also vary with geography and environment. The risk factors associated with an individual farm’s management and location need to be taken into consideration.

When are heifers most at risk of getting intramammary infections?

“In order to be able to prevent it, we need to know where we should focus so that we can implement prevention strategies at the right time points to help reduce infections,” Adkins says.

Work from her own lab sampled 304 quarters from 152 Holstein heifers. In comparing primigravid and nulligravid heifers, they found pregnant heifers had a higher incidence of positive quarters than non-pregnant heifers.

“Gestation and development of the [mammary] gland associated with pregnancy seem to be risk factors for increased prevalence of intramammary infections,” Adkins says.

These infections, in both pregnant and non-pregnant heifers, are significant because that animal is still growing and developing. Any infection could interrupt that process.

How do we diagnose heifer mastitis?

Without the usual diagnostic pathway of milk culture available, defining an intramammary infection in a heifer can be a bit tricky. In most young and early gestation heifers, there isn’t enough secretion present in the mammary gland to collect a meaningful sample. Collecting swabs from the teat or teat canal might be the best option at the moment, but it might not tell the whole story either.

“A lot of bacteria hang out just in the teat canal or the teat sphincter. They don’t necessarily go up into the gland,” Adkins explains. “If we just culture the end of the teat we can find bacteria that maybe aren’t causing a problem, which complicates our definitions [of infection].”

In research, needle based methods are used to bypass the teat end and go directly to the glandular tissue. However, these methods have not been validated in the field, and Adkins heavily advises against their use on farms.

Herd level factors you should review during your visit:

Overall herd udder health: Herds with lower overall somatic cell counts tend to have less heifer mastitis. Good management practices for lactating cows influence heifer health.
Early-life management: Heifers from farms with strong colostrum SOPs show lower mastitis rates, likely due to both enhanced immunity and overall better heifer oversight. Cross-suckling remains a concern due to teat end damage.
Fly control: It has been well documented that flies can carry mastitis pathogens and move directly between teat ends.
Contact with mature cows: Some research has linked prepartum commingling with increased mastitis risk, possibly due to both pathogen exposure and stress.
Time in calving area: Longer stays in heavily contaminated maternity environments significantly increase exposure risk.

Luckily, a lot of these factors come down to management decisions.

“Heifer mastitis is a major concern in many herds. Management is always a consideration for mastitis and a major consideration in heifers as well,” Adkins says. “Mammary health is related to herd level mammary health. So taking care of mastitis at all fronts is important, and considering environmental management strategies for your heifers is vital to try to reduce infections in these animals.”

Clinical Takeaways for Vets: Managing Heifer Mastitis

Think prepartum, not parlor. Most intramammary infections in heifers are acquired before calving; prevention efforts must target the rearing and prefresh periods.

Expect a different pathogen profile. NAS (especially S. chromogenes) and Streptococci dominate. S. aureus is present but less tied to parlors and more to skin, mucosal and environmental sources.

Use herd somatic cell count as a proxy. Herds with low bulk-tank and lactating-cow SCC typically have fewer heifer infections; poor overall udder health is a red flag to investigate replacements.

Audit early-life management. Verify colostrum SOPs, prevent cross-suckling, evaluate fly burden and assess cleanliness/turnover of prefresh and calving areas. These are high-yield levers.

Beware diagnostic pitfalls. Teat-end swabs overcall “infection”; needle sampling is research-only and not appropriate on-farm. Focus on first-test-day SCC and targeted cultures from clinical quarters postcalving.

Targeted protocols over blanket therapy. Emphasize environmental and management changes first. Use selective culture-based treatment strategies in fresh heifers rather than routine prepartum intramammary therapy.

National Mastitis Council Plans Regional Meeting, Registration Now Open

Thu, 15 May 2025 14:19:10 GMT

The Global Milk Quality Organization invites you to attend the 2025 National Mastitis Council (NMC) Regional Meeting, set for July 22-24, in Rochester, N.Y., at the Hyatt Regency Rochester.

With a theme of “Clearing Hurdles to Improve Milk Quality,” this event will bring together dairy producers, veterinarians, researchers and industry professionals for a collaborative exchange of knowledge and innovative practices to tackle key challenges in milk quality and udder health.

Find details about the NMC Regional Meeting at: https://www.nmconline.org/2025-regional-meeting-agenda . To register for this event, go to: https://bit.ly/NMC2025Regional .

As the dairy industry continues to evolve, so do the obstacles that hinder optimal milk quality and production, and animal welfare. The NMC Regional Meeting will feature expert-led sessions on emerging mastitis pathogens, on-farm milk quality strategies, antimicrobial stewardship and technologies for monitoring herd health.

“Our goal is to help dairy professionals identify and overcome the barriers that hinder milk quality,” said Rick Watters, an NMC board member and regional meeting co-chair. “By bringing together some of the brightest minds and most practical tools in the field, we aim to drive significant progress for enhancing udder health.”

The 2025 NMC Regional Meeting includes short courses, general sessions, panel discussions, dairy farm tours and networking opportunities designed to foster practical learning and actionable solutions.

Short Course topics and presenters* to include:
Troubleshooting Bacteria Counts in Conventional Milking Systems: Paul Virkler, Quality Milk Production Services, and Rick Watters, AgroChem

Milking System Design & Analysis: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University

Mastitis Microbes I: Let’s Figure Out the Bugs Behind the Battle: Quinn Kolar and Michael Zurakowski, Cornell University

The Milking Routine: Lisa Ford, Cayuga Marketing, Kaitlyn Lutz, Cornell University, and Francisco Mendoza Gomez, Newmont Farms (taught in Spanish)

Troubleshooting Bacteria Counts in Automated Milking Systems: Kira Andersen, Lely, and Guy Séguin, Dairy Farmers of Ontario

Milking System Vacuum and Airflow Testing: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University (hands-on training using the “Teaching Parlor”)

Judicious Use of Antimicrobials: Matt Chuff and Tracy Potter, Perry Veterinary Clinic

The ABCs of Milking Machines: Operation, Cleaning and Inspection: Carolina Pinzon, University of Wisconsin, and Dario Roma, DCR Consulting (taught in Spanish)

Identification of Mastitis-causing Organisms Using On-farm Methods: Quinn Kolar and Michael Zurakowski, Cornell University

Wash System Analysis: Roger Thomson, MQ-IQ Consulting and Michigan State University, and Rick Watters, AgroChem

General Session topics and presenters* to include:
Bedding Management: How to Interpret Bedding Bacterial Counts – Felipe Peña Mosca, Cornell University

Beyond Cell Count: Non-traditional Measures of Milk Quality – Nicole Martin, Cornell University

Milk Quality Standards: Beyond SCC and SPC – Kaitlyn Briggs, fairlife

Capitalizing on Sensor Technology – Julio Giordano, Cornell University

Using Artificial Intelligence to Interpret Data Silos – Elsa Vasseur, McGill University

How to Use Camera Technology Without Infringing on Employees’ Privacy Rights

Panel Discussion: How Dairy Farms are Using Artificial Intelligence and Camera Technology

*Topics and presenters subject to change.

Plus, tour some of New York’s finest dairy farms on July 24. The tour features Reyncrest Farms, Corfu, N.Y.; Bonna Terra Farms, Bloomfield, N.Y.; and Rudgers Registered Jerseys, Attica, N.Y.

Additionally, you won’t want to miss NMC’s Taste of New York – set for the evening of July 22. Taste some of the Empire State’s finest cheeses, wines and beers. And, participate in NMC’s first-ever chocolate milk tasting contest.

To make your hotel reservation at the Hyatt Regency Rochester, go to: https://bit.ly/NMCregionalmeetingHotel . Book your hotel room by June 30 in the NMC room block to take advantage of the discounted rate of $129 per night (not including taxes and fees).

Your next read: Can Oxytocin Boost Colostrum?

Mastering Milk Quality and Cow Comfort: Insights from The Udder Doctor

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 14:11:19 GMT

In the world of dairy farming, maximizing milk quality and cow comfort is paramount. Dr. Andy Johnson, famously known as ‘The Udder Doctor,’ has been at the forefront of this mission. With experience ranging from small farms with 20 cows to large-scale operations with 22,000 cows, Dr. Johnson’s insights have reached dairies across 30 countries and 47 states.

Throughout his career, he has championed the “100 Award,” an accolade granted to dairies that maintain an average of 100 lbs. of milk production under a somatic cell count of 100,000. Remarkably, in the past 15 years, more than 40 dairies have earned this distinction, with 75% achieving it in just the last five years. According to Dr. Johnson, a farm’s cell count is a reflection of its management practices, encompassing factors like housing, milking routines, and equipment maintenance.

Prioritizing Cow Comfort and Hygiene
A key point emphasized by Dr. Johnson is the critical role of environmental cleanliness in preventing infections.

“Cows in a dirty environment will have a higher risk to new infections. Keep cows clean, dry, and comfortable 24 hours a day,” he advises. This was a central message shared with over 300 attendees at the 2025 National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting in Charlotte, N.C.

Dr. Johnson also underscores the importance of a consistent milking routine and proper training for milkers.

“Do not just train one time,” he insists. “Continual training is a must.” This ongoing education is vital for maintaining high standards of milk quality.

Optimizing Milking Routine

Focusing on the milking procedure, Dr. Johnson outlines an ideal routine:

1. Dry wipe and predip: Begin with cleaning and preparing the udder.

2. Strip and dry: Strip teats to promote milk letdown and check for abnormalities, then dry thoroughly.

3. Attach and align: Properly attach the milking unit and align it to ensure efficiency.

Achieving the fastest milking with highest flow rates and optimal milk quality requires adherence to these steps. Proper drying enhances milk speed and reduces clinical mastitis, while complete stripping helps ensure the best let down and early detection of abnormal milk.

“Everyone will benefit by stripping. It just takes an attitude change,” Dr. Johnson notes, pointing out that the most successful herds implement this practice diligently.

He further advises that the optimal lag time between stripping and unit attachment should be at least 90 seconds. Moreover, maintaining clean cow legs—even if there’s a small amount of manure at the foot bottom—is crucial.

“Those little things really do matter,” he notes, emphasizing that attention to detail is rewarded with improved milk quality.

The Importance of Proper Equipment Management
Another critical factor in milking efficiency is the correct management of equipment, particularly the vacuum speed.

“Low vacuum is the number one problem on dairy,” Dr. Johnson states. Ensuring compatibility between vacuum speed and inflations is crucial for achieving swift, high-quality yields. “I’ve got dairies that are getting over 100 lbs. in under three and a half minutes,” he proudly asserts.

Embracing these techniques can lead to substantial improvements in both productivity and quality.

Your Next Read:
A United Front: The Future of Dairy Industry Innovations

Cull Cows – Should They Stay or Should They Go? And When Should They Go?

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:22:01 GMT

In Financial Opportunities of Cull Cow Marketing , the cull cow market, the importance of cull cow revenue to cow-calf operations, and the potential of adding value based on seasonal patterns in cull cow prices was discussed. Cull cow prices tend to bottom in the fall and peak in the spring, presenting a range of opportunities. Let’s take a deeper dive into the culling decision along with post-culling management and marketing with a focus on spring-calving herds.

Cow-calf producers with spring calving herds typically wean calves in late summer or early fall and subsequently make decisions about culling cows from the herd. The culling decision is based on many factors related to fertility, productivity, management ease, and health, as described in Figure 1.

Ask yourself these questions when making cull cow decisions.

(K. Raper)

Alongside that culling decision is the marketing decision – the decision to market cull cows immediately or retain them on the farm for marketing at a later date (Raper and Biermacher, 2017). Many factors influence this decision, including individual cow health, cash flow needs, on-farm resources for retention and feeding, current market conditions versus market expectations, and time. If a cull cow is not healthy enough or structurally sound enough to stay in your herd, she likely needs to go on the trailer for immediate marketing, as the risk of carrying her for 4 more months outweighs the opportunity for added revenue. If a cull cow carries too much body condition, she should also join those on the trailer, as adding or maintaining weight will likely be more costly than any revenue gained from the seasonal price upswing. On the other hand, if a cull cow is sound, reasonably healthy and not over-conditioned, AND if you have the resources to do so, there are multiple retention strategies with the potential for increasing cull cow salvage values in a profitable way. These strategies focus on taking advantage of the typical spring upswing in cull cow prices without spending all of the revenue gain on feed intake cost.

This article will focus on feeding strategies and leave the conversation about selling culls as bred cows for later.

In the previously referenced studies, 162 cull cows over a three-year period were assigned either to a native pasture or to a low-cost dry-lot retention program.

Market value and retention costs were assessed at October culling and again at one-month intervals from November through March and used to calculate net returns.

Net returns from cull cow retention measure the difference in revenue at culling and revenue when marketing at a later date, less the associated retention and feed costs, written as:

Net Returns = Revenue at Marketing – Retention & Feed Costs – Revenue if sold at Culling

Cows retained in the dry-lot setting had higher weight gain, on average, than cows retained on native pasture, but cumulative feed costs also increased at a much faster pace, even with the low-cost strategy. Cows with BCS≤6 (thin and medium) were profitably retained in the native pasture system, regardless of the retention period, with net returns ranging from $20/head in November to $70/head in March. Many of these cows actually lost some weight during the retention period, but the seasonal price upswing ‘outweighed’ the lost weight. However, in the low-cost dry lot system, only the 4-month retention period was profitable for thin and medium cows, with net returns of $20/head and $10/head, respectively, as feed costs consumed most of what would be gained from the seasonal price upswing. Net returns for cows with BCS>6 were negative across the board in the dry lot system, with minimal profitability in the pasture system as well.

So…as my family says in dominoes, get rid of your big ‘uns! And then carefully consider how to manage and market the rest.

Your Next Read: Success in the Sagebrush: Navigating Cattle Ranching Challenges For Seven Generations

National Mastitis Council seeks Scholar Applicants

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 14:24:10 GMT

The National Mastitis Council (NMC) Scholars program offers at least four travel scholarships for full-time graduate students interested in controlling mastitis, promoting udder health and improving milk quality.

Successful applicants earn an expense-paid trip to attend the NMC 64th Annual Meeting, Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C.

To apply for the NMC Scholars program, applicants must complete the application form, submit an interest statement that details the applicant’s interest in controlling mastitis and improving milk quality, career goals and research project(s), and provide a letter of recommendation. Applicants may also share additional information, such as awards, honors and scholarships received.

At least two NMC Scholars will be graduate students at a university or college outside of the United States and Canada. Eligible candidates must be an NMC member and enrolled full time at a college or university in a dairy, animal or veterinary science, microbiology or related program at the time of application deadline, with an area of interest that includes mastitis control and quality milk production.

The application deadline is July 31. Applicants will be notified by Aug. 31, regarding the selection committee’s decision. To learn more about the program and to apply, go to: http://www.nmconline.org/nmc-scholars-program. Selection priority will be given to applicants who have not previously attended an NMC Annual Meeting. Previous NMC Scholars are eligible to apply, but preference will be given to those who have not been previously selected.

Funding for the NMC Scholars program comes from NMC members’ and supporters’ generous contributions. For more information, contact JoDee Sattler, NMC Scholars program coordinator, at jdsattler@nmconline.org.

National Mastitis Council is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has close to 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

Internal Teat Sealant Can Help Prevent Mastitis

Sat, 27 Jan 2024 15:38:06 GMT

Treating cows properly at the beginning of the dry period can have a big impact on the success of their next lactation. While most cows form a keratin plug that seals off the teat canal to prevent the entry of mastitis-causing pathogens, it often doesn’t happen soon enough in today’s high-producing animals. The use of an internal teat sealant is an effective tool to protect cows.

“A cow is most susceptible to getting a new mastitis infection at the beginning of a dry period,” said Curt Vlietstra, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim. “She’s usually been milking for more than 300 days, and it takes her a few days for the teat end to begin to close up and provide that natural barrier to new infections.”

Sealant simulates a natural barrier
According to Vlietstra, an effective internal teat sealant is essentially doing what the cow is supposed to do on her own. “But not every cow forms that plug, and sometimes its formation is delayed,” he said. “When you use an internal teat sealant at dry-off, you’re providing an immediate barrier while the cow is waiting to make her own, and you’re eliminating the risk of infection if she doesn’t.”

Teat sealants provide secondary benefits, as well. “Most of the time, antibiotics don’t last for the length of the dry period, so a cow can be susceptible to intramammary infections before she has that next calf, when her immune system is weaker,” explained Vlietstra. “Using an internal teat sealant protects cows throughout the entire dry period.” Teat sealants also work well in conjunction with antibiotic therapy when it is needed.

Supplying protection against infections gives the cow’s udder a chance to heal, he added. “So, when she has the next calf and starts the next lactation, she’s able to make good milk — and hopefully a lot of it.”

Steps to a sterile barrier
An effective internal teat sealant provides a sterile barrier between the udder and its environment. Thorough cleaning of equipment and the animal are essential during sealant application and removal.

Following these steps will help to ensure no pathogens are introduced:
1. Empty the udder, ensuring each quarter is completely milked out.
2. Use clean syringes and gloves for each cow.
3. Clean each teat with germicidal solution, allowing 30 seconds of contact, then dry with a clean towel.
4. Thoroughly clean each teat end with an alcohol-soaked pad, starting with the farthest teats.
5. Uncap the sealant syringe, being careful not to touch the tip. Only uncap one syringe at a time.
6. Infuse teats in the opposite direction they were cleaned (i.e., infuse closest teats first).
7. Pinch the teat where it joins the base of the udder to prevent sealant from going beyond the teat canal.
8. Inject sealant as directed.
9. Don’t massage sealant into the udder.
10. Apply a post-milking teat disinfectant.

“Using a colored teat sealant adds to application convenience, and makes it easy to distinguish from the milk during removal at calving time,” concluded Vlietstra. “It’s much easier for employees to recognize, and as a result, they have more consistent success with sealant clean-out.”

How to Prevent Mastitis in Beef Cows

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:27:18 GMT

Mastitis Diagnosis and Treatment

Often, a beef producer or veterinarian will not notice a cow with mastitis, because beef cattle are not typically observed daily from a short distance, and many cases do not result in visible swelling or other signs of udder infection. In situations when cases of mastitis are not detected, the cow is likely to remain infected throughout the lactation and possibly for the rest of her life.

If mastitis is diagnosed, cows can be treated with special formulations of antibiotics that can be infused into the udder itself through the end of the teat. The veterinarian may also choose to treat cows with mastitis with antibiotics injected under the skin of the neck that then travel through the blood stream to the udder.

Many cases of mastitis respond well to treatment, but some quarters never return to full milk production. If a cow with mastitis is severely ill, the veterinarian may recommend aggressive therapy with frequent milking out of the affected quarter, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotic therapy.

Because beef cows are not handled frequently, the most common time to check cows for mastitis is when they are gathered for purposes of vaccination, fly control, or breeding early in lactation, or at the end of lactation when the cows are checked for pregnancy status and/or the calves are weaned. Some herds routinely check udders and treat any affected cows at the time the calves are weaned.

Preventing Mastitis

Although it is probably not possible to prevent all cases of mastitis, heavy fly populations, calving in a drylot and poor teat and udder confirmation are linked with situations with multiple cows being affected in the same herd.

Older cows, particularly those with larger, low-slung udders and large teats are considered to be at greater risk for mastitis. Therefore, prevention focuses on calving cows on clean pasture and avoiding calving in wet or muddy environments, culling potential replacement heifers if their dam has poor udder or teat confirmation, and controlling flies by focusing on sanitation and appropriate use of insecticides.

Read More:

Mineral and Vitamin Considerations When Drylotting Cows

Understanding Hardware Disease

Graduate Students Encouraged to Apply for Travel Scholarship to Conference

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 19:06:35 GMT

Full-time graduate students interested in controlling mastitis, promoting udder health and improving milk quality are invited to apply for the NMC Scholars Program to attend the National Mastitis Council (NMC) 63rd Annual Meeting, January 29-February 1, 2024 in Dallas, Texas, USA.

NMC, a global organization for mastitis control and milk quality, supports the development of future udder health, milking management and milk quality specialists. For the 16th consecutive year, NMC is providing up to four travel scholarships to full-time graduate students for attendance at the NMC Annual Meeting. At least two NMC Scholars will be students enrolled as graduate students in a university or college outside of the United States and Canada.

Eligible candidates must:

Be an NMC member. [For more information on student membership ($25 per year),click here.
Be a graduate student enrolled full time at a college or university in a dairy, animal or veterinary science, microbiology or related program at the time of application deadline, with an area of interest that includes mastitis control and quality milk production.
The application deadline is July 31, 2023. Applicants will be notified by August 31, 2023, regarding the selection committee’s decision. Selection priority will be given to applicants who have not previously attended an NMC Annual Meeting. Previous NMC Scholars are eligible to apply, but preference will be given to those who have not been previously selected.

Funding for these scholarships comes from generous contributions from NMC members and supporters.

NMC strongly encourages qualified students to apply for the NMC Scholars Program, even if they have attended a previous NMC Annual Meeting. If you have any questions, please contact JoDee Sattler, NMC Scholars program coordinator, at (414) 587-5839 or jdsattler@nmconline.org.

Mastitis in Beef Cows: What You Need to Know

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 18:35:14 GMT

Although mastitis, an infection of the udder, is often considered a dairy cow problem rather than a beef cow problem, the disease does affect many beef herds.

Most cases of mastitis only involve one quarter (one teat) of a cow’s udder and the other three quarters remain normal. Even though most cases of mastitis do not result in the complete loss of milk production, calves from affected cows have lighter weaning weights than if their dam had a normal udder.

Occasionally, mastitis causes severe illness in the cow, but in most situations, the cow is not greatly affected other than having reduced milk production. Mastitis can occur at any stage of lactation or even when the cow is dry, but most commonly becomes a problem early in lactation shortly after a cow calves.

Most cases of mastitis are caused by germs that are very common in the environment and on a cow’s skin. Occasionally, mastitis is caused by injury to the udder. Lactating cows are by far the most commonly affected, but heifers and even bulls or steers can have infected udders.

Severe cases of mastitis, when the udder becomes reddened, swollen, and hot to the touch and the cow shows signs of illness such as being off-feed and inactive, will result in severe weight loss in the calf and cow and occasionally the death of either the cow or calf.

Often, a beef producer or veterinarian will not notice a cow with mastitis because beef cattle are not typically observed daily from a short distance and many cases do not result in visible swelling or other signs of udder infection. In situations when cases of mastitis are not detected, the cow is likely to remain infected throughout the lactation and possibly for the rest of her life.

If mastitis is diagnosed, cows can be treated with special formulations of antibiotics that can be infused into the udder itself through the end of the teat. The veterinarian may also choose to treat cows with mastitis with antibiotics injected under the skin of the neck that then travel through the blood stream to the udder.

Many cases of mastitis respond well to treatment, but some quarters never return to full milk production. If a cow with mastitis is severely ill, the veterinarian may recommend aggressive therapy with frequent milking out of the affected quarter, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotic therapy.

Because beef cows are not handled frequently, the most common time to check cows for mastitis is when they are gathered for purposes of vaccination, fly control, or breeding early in lactation, or at the end of lactation when the cows are checked for pregnancy status and/or the calves are weaned. Some herds routinely check udders and treat any affected cows at the time the calves are weaned.

Although it is probably not possible to prevent all cases of mastitis, heavy fly populations, calving in a drylot and poor teat and udder confirmation are linked with situations with multiple cows being affected in the same herd.

Older cows, particularly those with larger, low-slung udders and large teats are considered to be at greater risk for mastitis. Therefore, prevention focuses on calving cows on clean pasture and avoiding calving in wet or muddy environments, culling potential replacement heifers if their dam has poor udder or teat confirmation, and controlling flies by focusing on sanitation and appropriate use of insecticides.

Read More:

Mineral and Vitamin Considerations When Drylotting Cows

Over-the-Counter Antibiotics: What You Need to Know Before June 11

Understanding Hardware Disease

Cornell Researchers Explore Stem Cell Therapy for Mastitis

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:10:55 GMT

Mastitis is the most expensive disease in the dairy industry. Each clinical case can cost a dairy farmer more than $400 and damages both the cow’s future output as well as her comfort.

Bovine mastitis is typically treated with antibiotics, but with the potential threat of antimicrobial resistance and the disease’s long-term harm to the animal’s teat, researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine are laying the foundation for alternative therapies derived from stem cells.

“Antibiotics can kill the bugs,” said Gerlinde Van de Walle, the Harry M. Zweig Assistant Professor in Equine Health, “but they don’t help with regeneration of the damaged tissue.”

Bovine mastitis damages the cow’s mammary gland tissue when bacteria cause inflammation. The bacteria can enter the cow’s teat when it comes in contact with a contaminated milking machine, a hand or bedding materials. This damaged mammary tissue contributes to milk production losses, quality concerns and increased labor costs.

“Bovine mastitis is the most costly disease in the dairy industry,” said Daryl Nydam, DVM, Ph.D., professor in population medicine and diagnostic sciences. “The second-most-costly is almost not worth mentioning in comparison.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 96.9 percent of dairy facilities use antibiotics to treat clinical mastitis cases. While effective against bacteria, antibiotics alone cannot restore the damaged mammary tissue. In their March 16 paper in Scientific Reports, Van de Walle and Nydam explore how the secretions of bovine mammary stem cells can encourage healing and regrowth of damaged tissue as well as rid the mammary gland of harmful bacteria.

“Even after the bug is removed with antibiotic treatment, the milk production will usually not go to its previous highest levels because of that damage to the tissues,” said Van de Walle, lead author on the paper. “That’s where this alternative therapy comes in.”

Van de Walle and Nydam are the first to detail what bovine mammary stem cells secrete. Others have examined the secretome of stem cells from other species, but not bovine. “It’s a brand new area of inquiry,” said Nydam, and it’s led to a host of discoveries.

Their report finds that the secreted factors of these stem cells carry multiple positive effects. They play a role in the formation of new blood vessels and promote the migration of cells, both of which are integral in healing tissue damaged by mastitis. Some secreted factors protect epithelial cells from damage caused by bacterial toxins, and others proved to be antimicrobial peptides that play a role in killing bacteria.

“Besides the tissue regeneration,” Van de Walle said, “it could also help the antibiotics work better, since they produce some of those antibiotic properties.”

The researchers also found that the secreted factors were more effective against toxins produced by gram-negative bacteria, which are generally more resistant to antibodies because of their thicker cell walls. The bacteria that cause bovine mastitis can be either gram-positive or gram-negative.

“FDA-approved intramammary antimicrobials are more effective against gram-positive bacteria,” said Nydam. “So this would be a nice complement to that.”

This paper is part of a concentrated effort for basic and applied science faculty to unite their research practices and address an important disease. Van de Walle’s lab at the Baker Institute for Animal Health performs basic research on viral pathogenesis and stem cell biology, and Nydam is the director of Quality Milk Production Services, a program that addresses milk quality issues for producers, such as disease control and antibiotic use.

“Based on the positive effects of the bovine stem cell secretome we observed in the lab, we now have to take it to next level and test whether it also work in cows with mastitis,” said Van de Walle.

NMC Seeks Manuscript Submissions

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:10:43 GMT

The National Mastitis Council (NMC) is now accepting manuscripts for its 2020 Technology Transfer Session (TTS). Manuscripts will be accepted through Sept. 30. TTS will be held during the NMC Annual Meeting, Jan. 28-31, 2020, in Orlando, Fla.

Manuscripts are limited to two pages and fall under four categories – research articles, general interest articles, review articles and case reports. Each article should contain an introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion, conclusions/recommendations and references.

To find author instructions and submit a manuscript, log onto this manuscript submission site .

Please keep in mind that NMC strives to provide quality papers, focused on educational content, which is free of commercial influence or bias. Manuscripts and posters are not to be used as platforms for commercial sales, promotions and/or advertising. Excessive use of brand names, product names, trade names, and/or trademarks is not allowed.

TTS supplements the NMC Annual Meeting program by providing additional information through posters and one-on-one interaction. Ten posters will be presented orally during the Research and Development Summaries Session on Jan. 30. Accepted manuscripts will be published in the 2020 National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting proceedings.

NMC is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world. For more information, go to: www.nmconline.org .

For more from NMC, see these articles on BovineVetOnline:

NMC Begins Search for Scholars Applicants

NMC Introduces Teat Condition Portfolio

NMC Seeks National Dairy Quality Award Nominations

NMC Begins Search for Scholars Applicants

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:10:00 GMT

The National Mastitis Council (NMC) Scholars program annually provides four travel scholarships to full-time graduate students interested in controlling mastitis, promoting udder health and improving milk quality. Successful applicants earn an expense-paid trip to attend the NMC 59th Annual Meeting, Jan. 28-31, 2020, in Orlando, Fla.

To apply for the NMC Scholars program, applicants must complete the application form, submit an interest statement that details the applicant’s interest in controlling mastitis and improving milk quality, career goals and research project(s), and provide a letter of recommendation. Applicants may also share additional information, such as awards, honors and scholarships received.

At least two NMC Scholars will be graduate students at a university or college outside of the United States and Canada. Eligible candidates must be an NMC member and enrolled full time at a college or university in a dairy, animal or veterinary science, microbiology or related program at the time of application deadline, with an area of interest that includes mastitis control and quality milk production.

The application deadline is July 31. Applicants will be notified by Aug. 30, regarding the selection committee’s decision. To learn more about the program and to apply, go to: http://www.nmconline.org/nmc-scholars-program . Selection priority will be given to applicants who have not previously attended an NMC Annual Meeting. Previous NMC Scholars are eligible to apply, but preference will be given to those who have not been previously selected.

Funding for the NMC Scholars program comes from NMC members’ and supporters’ generous contributions. For more information, contact JoDee Sattler, NMC Scholars program coordinator, at (414) 587-5839 or jdsattler@nmconline.org .

NMC Offers Stipends to First-Time Conference Attendees

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:09:02 GMT

NMC is offering ten, $200 travel stipends to dairy producers and practicing bovine veterinarians to attend the NMC 58th Annual Meeting, scheduled for Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2019, at the Savannah Marriott Riverfront in Savannah, Ga. The travel stipends are available to first-time attendees (producers and veterinarians) on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply for a travel stipend, contact JoDee Sattler at: jdsattler@nmconline.org .

Reminder: The American Association of Veterinary State Boards approved up to 56 Registry of Approved Continuing Education- (RACE) approved continuing education units (CEU) for the NMC Annual Meeting. AAVSB CEUs may be earned by attending short courses, general sessions and/or the featured symposium. Veterinarians may earn a maximum of 19 CEUs for this meeting. The 2019 NMC Annual Meeting also provides American Registry for Professional Animal Scientists and Dairy AdvanCE CEUs. Administered by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, DairyAdvanCE helps dairy producers find, track and manage high-quality trainings and continuing education relevant to dairy producers’ needs.

Meeting details can be found at: meeting.nmconline.org

DEADLINES:

1/4/19 - Hotel preferred rate expires. The NMC preferred rate room block is $185 per night plus tax. All reservations are subject to availability.
1/6/19 - Early bird registration deadline. Registration fees go up after that date!

NMC Conference Offers 15 Short Courses

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:58 GMT

Leading milk quality experts from around the world will deliver 15 short courses at the 2019 NMC Annual Meeting, January 29-February 1, in Savannah, Georgia. Short courses will only be held on Wednesday, January 30. Up to 10 continuing education credits can be earned in just 1 day.

Wednesday, January 30, 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Course 1: Using Rapid Culture Systems to Guide Selective Treatment of Clinical Mastitis and at Dry?off
Course 2: Healthy Dairy Farming with Less Antimicrobial Use – Yes, We Can!
Course 3: An Organized Approach to Developing a Long?term Action Plan for Herds with Poor Teat Ends
Course 4: Practical Mastitis Problem?solving Workshop (Only 6 spots left!)
Course 5: NMC Procedures for Evaluating Vacuum Levels and Air Flow I (Features the Teaching Parlor)

Wednesday, January 30, 12:30-3:30 p.m./4:30 p.m.
Course 6: Milk Bugs Like It Raw: Basic Milk Bacteriology for Professionals
Course 7: Managing Large Dairies: The Consultant’s Role
Course 8: How to Create a Culture of Excellence in Dairies (taught in Spanish)
Course 9: Mastitis and Pain
Course 10: 7 Point Plan for Mastitis Control (ends at 4:30 p.m.)
Course 11: Helping Clients Develop an Udder Health Management Strategy Using PCDART (ends at 4:30 p.m.)
Course 12: NMC Procedures for Evaluating Vacuum Levels and Air Flow II (Features the Teaching Parlor)

Wednesday, January 30, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Course 13: The Why, What, When and How of Mastitis Therapy
Course 14: How to Create a Culture of Excellence in Dairies
Course 15: Clean in Place and Slug Analysis Monitoring and Analysis (Features the Teaching Parlor)

For more details, including course descriptions and courses instructors’ names and affiliations, go to: http://meeting.nmconline.org/index.php/short-courses

Reminder: The short courses have limited enrollment, with many reaching capacity before the “early bird” registration deadline (January 6, 2019). Register today, so you’re not disappointed that your first-choice course is no longer available.

Best of BoVet: Elanco Announces FDA Approval of Imrestor for Mastitis Prevention

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:07:12 GMT

As we approach the end of 2016, we want to look back on the top 10 articles from Bovine Vet this year. Read the number

e ight

below.

Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, this week announced the approval of Imrestor‚Ñ¢ (pegbovigrastim injection) - the first product of its kind for the dairy industry.
Available only by veterinary prescription, Imrestor is now FDA approved for the reduction in the incidence of clinical mastitis in the first 30 days of lactation in periparturient dairy cows and periparturient replacement dairy heifers. Imrestor is a protein that helps support the natural function of a dairy cow’s immune system during the critical time around calving, when she is most vulnerable to mastitis.

“Imrestor is an innovative new approach for reducing clinical mastitis by proactively helping to restore the function of a cow’s immune system,” explained Paul Rapnicki, DVM, MBA, Associate Technical Advisor, Elanco Animal Health.

Pivotal efficacy studies conducted for FDA approval showed a 28 percent reduction in clinical mastitis incidence among cows and heifers that received Imrestor compared with control animals. Mastitis is the most common disease among dairy cows, affecting as many as 1 in 4 cows. Clinical mastitis affects each cow’s potential leading to reduced conception rates3, an increased risk for another case of mastitis, and lost milk production potential throughout the lactation.

Dairy cows experience immune suppression at calving

Immune suppression at calving can leave cows vulnerable to infection and an increased risk of mastitis.

Dairy cows and heifers are in need of protection particularly at calving due to a decline in neutrophils - the primary type of white blood cell that recognizes and destroys harmful bacteria. Imrestor helps restore the function

and increase the number of neutrophils at calving* which helps the cow to fight invading bacteria that cause mastitis.

“We know that even the best producers need a little help protecting their dairy herds. Imrestor is a proactive approach that can help keep cows healthy and help reduce the frustration, financial strain and stress associated with treating mastitis,” added Rapnicki.

Elanco shared news of the Imrestor approval March 17 during a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) meeting where antibiotic alternatives for use in food animals were discussed. Mastitis is the most common illness treated with antimicrobials in dairy cows.

The launch of Imrestor is aligned with Elanco’s eight-point antibiotic stewardship plan that ensures the responsible use of antibiotics, reduces shared-class antibiotic use and replaces antibiotics with alternatives. The plan was outlined by Elanco President Jeff Simmons at a White House antibiotic stewardship forum last year.

Available in pre-filled, single-dose syringes, Imrestor is administered with two injections - one seven days prior to the anticipated date of calving** and the other within 24 hours after calving - thus helping to protect the cow against mastitis when she needs it most.

Imrestor does not require a meat or milk withdrawal period. Imrestor will be available for purchase in 10, 50, and 100 dose pack sizes. The product availability date will be announced at a later time. Dairy producers are encouraged to contact their veterinarian to discuss incorporating Imrestor into their herd health program.

Important safety information

Not for use in humans. Keep out of reach of children. In case of accidental self-injection, wash the site of injection thoroughly with clean running water. Foreign proteins such as pegbovigrastim have the potential to cause anaphylactic-type reactions. No withdrawal period or milk discard time is required when used according to the labeling. Do not use Imrestor to treat cows with clinical mastitis because effectiveness has not been demonstrated for this use. Some cases of hypersensitivity-type reactions have been observed in studies outside the United States within five minutes to two hours, occurring most often after the first administration of Imrestor. These reactions resolve within hours of onset with or without therapeutic intervention and have not been shown to reoccur with subsequent injections of Imrestor. For complete safety information, see product label.

*The clinical significance of this data has not been demonstrated

**4-10 days to accommodate management schedules

Cornell study: Dairies can save thousands with strategic mastitis treatment

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 02:06:25 GMT

Reducing mastitis treatment costs by tens of thousands of dollars is possible, according to a new study from Cornell University. This study identifies a more calculated approach to mastitis treatments that reduces the overall amount of antibiotics needed. Not only does this new approach provide excellent cure rates, it is more cost-effective for dairy producers.

“The Cornell study compares the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in extended therapy to selective therapy when treating mastitis,” says Dr. Linda Tikofsky, Professional Services Veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. “The dairy industry is conditioned to grab a tube and treat every case of mastitis that comes along. But, in reality, many mastitis cases will self-cure or are caused by pathogens that won’t respond to antibiotic treatments well. Treating those cases is an unnecessary expense.”

The study outlines four ways to react to and treat clinical mastitis on dairy farms:

No antibiotic treatment for mild and moderate cases, and supportive care ‚Äî such as fluids and anti-inflammatory drugs ‚Äî for severe cases. However, as was the case two decades ago, this may lead to an increase in chronic cases of mastitis and increased bulk milk somatic cell counts (SCC).

Similar (blanket) antibiotic treatment for all cases. This could lead to overtreatment of approximately 50 to 75 percent of all mild and moderate cases, and is costly.

Culture the milk on-farm, and make a treatment decision 24 hours after detection of mild and moderate mastitis. (Severe cases should be treated immediately.) This can help dairies decide which cases to treat and which are unlikely to respond to antibiotics.

Culture the milk through an outside service, and make a treatment decision 24 hours after detection of mastitis. New diagnostic technologies can determine which pathogens are present, and also identify any contagious pathogens.

Researchers compared two groups of cows that had mild or moderate clinical mastitis. The first group received blanket therapy, using one tube of Spectramast® LC (ceftiofur hydrochloride) daily for five days. The second group did not receive treatment for the first 24 hours while milk samples were cultured. Those with Gram-positive pathogens were given ToDAY® (cephapirin sodium) once every 12 hours for two treatments. Those with Gram-negative infections, other organisms or no growth received no treatment.

“The results should change the way dairies look at mastitis treatment,” continues Dr. Tikosfky. “There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in clinical cure, next-test-day milk production, somatic cell counts or risk of culling. But the days out of the bulk tank were much higher for the blanket therapy group, at almost nine days versus seven days for the culture group.”

The study concludes that the additional cost of unnecessary antibiotics, combined with the amount of milk discarded, can cost dairy producers more than $32,000 per 1,000 cows.

Culturing mastitis infections will likely be a change in protocol for most dairies. However, this information-based, strategic treatment method will still offer cows similar cure rates and reduced time in the hospital pen, while saving thousands of dollars for dairy producers.

How Dairy Producers are Boosting Profitability

In the ever-competitive world of agriculture, dairy producers are continuously exploring new avenues to ensure the sustainability and growth of their operations. In the face of fluctuating market dynamics and economic pressures, innovative profitability strategies have become crucial, particularly in the dairy industry.

Alternative Profit Strategies
With the spotlight on profitability, many dairy producers have turned their attention to alternative profit sources. This shift has been especially significant during times when milk prices are less than favorable. Robin Schmahl from AgMarket.Net highlights the beef-on-dairy strategy as a pivotal approach to increasing income. By integrating beef genetics into dairy herds, many producers have successfully split their breeding practices between sexed semen and beef, leading to substantial income boosts over recent years.

Understanding Market Dynamics
Market dynamics play a critical role in shaping milk production. According to Phil Plourd, head of market intelligence at Ever.Ag Insights, the unfavorable economic conditions have historically squeezed milk production. Despite this, he remains optimistic about the upcoming 12 months, suggesting they present the best profit potential for dairy producers in recent times. His observation that “Historically, more money generally means more milk,” underlines the intricate relationship between economic conditions and milk yield.

Challenges with Dairy Replacement Heifers
The adoption of beef-on-dairy practices has, however, led to a decrease in the availability of dairy replacement animals. This scarcity has driven up prices, presenting a challenge for producers, especially those planning for expansion. Larger operations are now strategizing ways to secure replacements either through internal growth or external purchases well in advance.

“I don’t think they’re going to wake up three days before they open the new dairy and say, ‘Oh, wait, I need heifers,’” Plourd says.

Adapting to Market Signals
While there is potential market growth with higher milk prices, current dairy heifer inventory doesn’t entirely align with this trend. However, Schmahl points out that the increased milk prices offer producers more flexibility, allowing them to invest in replacements or retain older cows to maximize their output.

Risk Management in a Volatile Market
Efficient risk management strategies are crucial to navigating the ups and downs of the market. Schmahl emphasizes the importance of engaging in risk management without capping potential gains. He recommends option strategies or revenue protection, advising producers to remain flexible and informed as they plan for the future.

“You don’t want to limit your upside,” Schmahl insists, while cautioning producers about using futures, encouraging a balance between protection and opportunity.

As the dairy industry continues its evolution, staying informed and adaptable is essential for producers looking to capitalize on emerging trends. By employing innovative strategies and maintaining a sharp focus on market signals, dairy producers can navigate economic challenges to secure and enhance their profitability.

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