Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland. Inflammation is the response of tissue or organs to injury.

The purpose of the inflammatory response in the udder is to destroy or neutralize the infectious agents and their toxins.

Bovine mastitis is most commonly caused by bacteria that invade the udder, multiply in the milk-producing tissues and synthesize toxins.

While there are nuances to every dairy operation, virtually all strive to attain strong milk yields and efficiency. Both are best achieved when cows are calm, clean and milked consistently utilizing proper routines with well-maintained equipment.

Daily maintenance
There are certain maintenance checks that should be performed by milking technicians at every milking to ensure equipment is working properly.

Your farm most likely has a milking routine that you’ve had trainings on or discussed during team meetings. Consistently following this routine is critical to producing high-quality milk.

While there is no routine that fits every dairy, the routine chosen by your farm should be followed by every person on every shift, at every milking, to ensure your goal of efficient and healthy milk harvest.

Here is a list of tasks that should be considered when developing a milking protocol on your farm:

Why is early treatment of pinkeye important?
Pinkeye, a contagious bacterial infection of the eye, can deliver a major economic hit to dairymen in terms of decreased milk production, weight loss and treatment costs.

Left untreated, pinkeye can rapidly spread through a herd. Pinkeye results in swelling, pain and, in severe cases, ulcerations and even blindness in an estimated 2 percent of affected cattle.

Early detection and treatment of pinkeye limits the spread of this highly contagious condition. Face flies are a major culprit when it comes to transmitting pinkeye.

Once a fly lands on the eye or eye area of an infected animal, the pinkeye bacteria can live on its legs and wings for up to three days, allowing a single fly to infect numerous animals.