What is mastitis, and how can I avoid a mastitis outbreak in my herd?
Mastitis is a bacterial infection causing inflammation of the mammary gland in the udder (bag) of the cow reducing the quantity and quality of milk produced. It is caused by a variety of one or more circumstances such as; poor milking hygiene, milking machine faults, faulty milking management, teat injuries, teat sores, and environmental populations of pathogens. To avoid outbreaks in the herd, producers must pay attention to details. Mastitis can be highly contagious under certain circumstances. Therefore, cleanliness throughout the production environment is critically important. Milking equipment must be properly calibrated and fully functional. Aggressive cows should be culled, facilities and equipment should be in good repair, ponds should be fenced off and/or offer only limited access, and potential sources of injury to the cows should be eliminated.
