PUBLICATION DATE: 05/05/2009
AUTHOR: Hafiz Muhammad Wasi Khan, Consultant - DeLaval Pakistan
Creating awareness about mastitis and its management is really a great service to small scale livestock farmers.
Mega dairy projects have their own effective strategy to keep their herd mastitis free while small scale farmer always suffer due to their ignorance and lack of capacity to understand this menace.
In Pakistan as per a survey 25% milking animals are affected by mastitis in one way or the other from clinical to acute mastitis.
This is really alarming figure. When 25% animals are suffering from this disease this shows that the rest 75% heads are already at risk to be affected by this disease sooner.
It needs a nation wide campaign to create awareness through all related institutions how to keep the milking animals totally mastitis free.
Economical loss to the farmer starts right from the onset of mastitis in the following sequence:
- a) The milk got from affected animal can not be sold
- b) If the milk from affected animal is mixed with the milk of others the whole milk looses its quality
- c) Discomfort to the animal due to suffering from the disease continues decreasing its milk yield
- d) Loss of money on treatment without any guarantee because cure of mastitis depends on its stage of diagnose and on accurate and timely treatment
- e) Loss of one teat means loss of 50% value of the animals in the market
- f) Loss of one teat is a clear indication that that the remaining 3 teats are permanently at risk
Therefore it is of paramount importance that in a country where incidence of mastitis is in the range 0f 25%, its financial implications on the economy of small scale farmers, a nationwide campaign should be started to create awareness to manage this disease with simple tools of management.
The basic factors in keeping this disease away are as under:
- a) Providing healthy environment by the farmers inside and around animals shed
- b) Teat protection after milking to control entry of bacteria
- c) A watchful eye by the farmers on each teat of the udder of his each animal before and after milking
- d) Regular test of fresh milk to check the incidence of mastitis at very initial stage
Some experts use SURF TEST as a tool to protect milking animals from this disease. Surf Test itself is a good innovation to determine the presence of mastitis and it looks as if it can solve all the problems related to mastitis. However I feel, besides being cheaper and easy it has its own limitations:
- a) In the villages where most of our livestock population is present, quality surf is not available and sometimes sub standard washing powder could be used.
- b) quality of water available in the villages is also not uniform thus a test carried out using water with high TDS may give misleading results.
Since much more work has been done in the world to control this menace, I will like to suggest in the interest of the farmers community to move further by using modern techniques which give guarantee to keep the herd free from mastitis.
1. CMT (California Mastitis Kit)
This is a kit which has a solution which is used in a paddle tray with four potions to test milk from individual teat to locate the actual problem right from initial stage and indicates the stage of disease as well.
By using this KIT, the farmer will be alarmed about the incidence of Mastitis and its stage.
If mastitis is observed at initial stage it is very easy to nip the evil in the bud without much cost.
2. DIPAL
This is a ready-made concentrate to be used in post milking stage in teat dip cup to dip each teat.
Dipal in addition to being an antiseptic solution also creates a protective coating/layer on each teat giving protection at least for 45 minutes by not allowing any bacteria to enter the teat while the risk period is approximately 30 minutes.
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/05/2009
AUTHOR: Hafiz Muhammad Wasi Khan, Consultant - DeLaval Pakistan
AUTHOR DETAILS (
Hide...)
Consultant
Staff: Chosen Acres Consulting, Inc.
United States of America - Arizona
Phone:
Rank
30
Contact
This member offers his professional services Click here
05/05/2009
I agree with Hafiz and that we need to create awareness as there is no other disease known to man with the magnitude and impact of MASTITIS. We also see in the US that the smaller the dairy the more the mastitis with the exception of key dairymen and the same is true for large dairies. The right Equipment, teat dip and the immune system of the cow are essential in eliminating mastitis.
Report Abuse
Product Manager
India - Tamil Nadu
Rank
9
05/05/2009
I agree with the article of Mr. Khan...
But at the same time using teat dip will spread disease from one quarter to other quarter, that the author must be knowing...
Moreover, Iodine preparations are very weak in bactericidal effect and even those iodine can be MORE effective when it is used as spray not as dip.
Disadvantages of using teat dip:
Teat dip will lead to cross contamination of dipping solution.
Teat dip will spread disease from one quarter to another quarter (Infected to Healthy qtr).
Teat dip also often replaced and hence it is costlier than teat sprayers.
There are few more ayurvedic preparations available which does not leave any residues in the milk and milk wil be fit for exports.
Thanks,
S. Murali
Report Abuse
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Pakistan - Punjab
Phone: +92 41 2665352
Rank
17
Contact
This member offers his professional services Click here
05/05/2009
Any simple disinfectant (like detole) mixed in water and washing the udder post milking is the best measure to control mastitis... poor farmers needs cheap and easily available, simple disinfectant ...
Report Abuse
Animal Nutritionist
Staff: Kemin Industries, Inc
India - Tamil Nadu [Madras]
Phone: +919381030403
Rank
48
Europe - Iowa
Phone:
515-559-5346
This member offers his professional services Click here
05/06/2009
I agree with the author that prevention is very important to save the animals from mastitis. Some of the practical approaches done by the progressive dairy farmers in India are: using teat dip, keeping the animals engaged in feeding after milking (this prevents entry of bacteria from ground), milk the affected animals at the end of milking (all the cows). Dairy owners observe that these practices reduces the incidences of mastitis in their herd.
Thanks and regards,
Dr GS
Report Abuse
Veterinary Doctor
Staff: Exotic Biosolutions
India - Maharashtra
Rank
26
India - Maharashtra
Phone:
-
05/06/2009
Article is good. Mastitis is a major problem all over world, as it causes huge losses. Mr. Khan has mentioned SURF TEST. Will you please give details on this test.
Report Abuse
Animal Nutritionist
India - Punjab
Phone: 9316904933
Rank
26
Contact
This member offers his professional services Click here
05/06/2009
About 1/3rd cases of mastitis occur during first ten days of calving. Nutrients like vit E, micro minerals, etc plays very important role in occurence of mastitis. Povidine mixed with double the quantity of glycerine makes a very effective and economical teat dip.
Report Abuse
Comments: (6)
TOPICS: (More..)
Showcase
