Reducing Environmental Mastitis Cases Can Add Up To Increase Savings
BY GEORGE F. W. HAENLEIN
Extension Dairy Specialist
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. - Just when you
thought you knew all about
mastitis - its many different
forms, outcomes and treatments -
along comes another new term:
environmental mastitis. This
differs from contagious mastitis,
which is caused by Streptococcus
agalactiae or Staphylococcus
aureus and is found mainly inside
the cow’s udder.
Environmental mastitis is
caused, instead, by bacteria such
as E. coli, Klebsiella and some
other Streptococci that live mainly
in manure, in bedding, on concrete
floors and in the soil. Infections
from these organisms typically
last only a short time, possibly two
weeks, while contagious infections
may last much longer. Elevated
somatic cell levels, if they stay up
a long time, indicate contagious
infections rather than an en
vironmental problem, and vice
versa.
Many environmental infections
begin at the start of the cow’s dry
period, but without proper
treatment they can also recur in
the second half as well. Don’t
expect dry cow treatment to be
effective longer than two or three
weeks. Cows that lie on wet and
dirty bam alleys, in infrequently
bedded free-stalls and which come
into the milking parlor with
manure and dirt caked to their
teats and udder have a high risk of
exposure to environmental
mastitis.
Why not avoid the problem by
providing them with dry, clean
free-stall floors, alleys and holding
grounds on which cows may rest.
Most people change the sheets on
their beds at least once a week.
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Why not give our cows similar
consideration? When we kept them
tied up in old-fashioned staunchion
bams, we changed their bedding at
least once a day!
Moving them into free-stalls was
supposed to be progress -less
labor, less bedding expense, more
freedom for the cows. But do we
keep their udder environment as
neat and clean as it was under the
old system of fresh daily straw
bedded staunchion stalls? I wonder
and so do others, and that’s the
reason for the new term: en
vironmental mastitis. Wouldn’t it
be cheaper and better to prevent
The popular annual Penn
sylvania Beef Cook-Off Contest
copntract was awarded to Mary
Wilson of State College. Mrs.
Wilson will conduct the contest this
June in Shiremanstown. The
Pennsylvania contest, which
generated the 1985 national win
ner, is sponsored by PBC in
cooperation with MOPAC and the
PA Department of Agriculture.
Mary Wilson was also awarded a
contract to place special teaching
kits for both elementary and
secondary grade teachers to
provide factual information on
cattle, beef products and sound
nutrition. Course material will be
offered on a pilot basis to 25 school
districts throughout the state.
Becky Painter of Elkland, the
1986 PA Cattlemen’s Queen and a
1987 graduate of Penn State, will
serve as contractor for the Penn
sylvania Beef Queen and the new
Pennsylvania Fancy Veal Queen
programs. The Cattlemen’s Queen
and twelve princesses, along with
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State Beef And Veal Promotion
(Continued from Page Al)
this problem, rather than trying to
cure it?
Clean, dry bedding and grounds
are the keys to success in mastitis
control. Besides preventing
mastitis, providing these con
ditions will also reduce bam flies
and their reproduction, and this in
turn will reduce some fly-carried
mastitis infections, too. Clean, dry
bedding should also keep udders
clean and dry so when cows enter
the milking parlor we’ll be able to
use dry, rather than wet, udder
preparation for milking. Dry
preparation tends to result in lower
bacterm counts in flu* milk
the Veal Queen and two princesses,
will conduct beef and veal
promotions throughout the year
and will be available for county
sponsored events.
Presently in the final negotiation possible,” said Heffner. “We have
stages are contracts for producer purchased four units for this
information newsletters for those purpose,” he added, “and
who invest in the Check-Off to currently have 28 requests for
know how their investment is being demonstrations.”
used. Also a special newsletter will The program also includes a new
be geared toward nutritionists, veal recipe contest, billboard and
dietitions and home economists, radio advertising, and special
Radio advertising proposals which 7 “media blitz” for several cities,
supplement both state and national The PBC staff has been actively
campaigns are being reviewed for promoting beef through as
signing. tendance at special food shows and
Another contractor, soon to be
selected, will demonstrate a
unique promotional tool—video
“Meat Features”— in at least 200
retail supermarkets. Placed right
at the meat counter, video tapes
illustrate how to prepare and serve
cuts of beef, and show
recipe/nutrition programs daily.
Beef sales have increased sub
stantially in midwestem retail
markets where video was first
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So you see, dry and clean bed
ding has several benefits to repay
you for the extra labor. Besides
that, recent research shows that
vitamin E and selenium sup
plements, in addition to vitamin A
and zinc, help strengthen
resistance and thus prevent losses
from environmental mastitis.
Ohio State University recom
mendations are for 1,000 in
ternational units of vitamin E per
dry cow per day, plus three
milligrams of selenium plus 50
milligram selenium injected three
weeks before calving. For milking
used.
“Our job is to make certain
retail stores are aware of this new
marketing technique by demon
strating it in as many places as
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cows 400 to 600 units of vitamin E
and six milligram of selenium are
recommended per head per day.
Blood samples drawn by
veterinarians can be analyzed for
selenium sufficiency in many
laboratories, including that at
Pennsylvania State University.
In any case, the milk from each
cow should be tested monthly for
somatic cell count at a state lab or
through the DHIA system. Then
we’ll known whether we have a
problem and, if so, whether it’s
environmental or contagious. We’ll
also know what to do about it - for
better profits on our dairy farm.
In Gear
supermarket events prior to the
awarding of official contracts.
“BIC is producing excellent
educational and promotional in
formation with beef, dairy and
veal Check-Off dollars and it’s up
to our Council to see that it’s given
to as many consumers as
possible,’’ said Heffner.
For more information on how
your beef Check-Off dollars are
being put to work for you, or for
more details on specific contracts,
contact Bob Coleman, Executive
Director, Pennsylvania Beef
Council, 4714 Orchard Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17110,717/545-0000.
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