According to Teagasc, bulk milk somatic cell counts are increasing at a rate of about 5000 per annum. Why this is happening is anyone's guess, but the fact is, in spite of all the mastitis control programmes out there, either dairy farmers have switched off or the organisms causing the problems are managing to overcome any control programmes put in place.
More worrying though is the increasing number of cases where somatic cell counts are high on dairy farms and the farmers in question are teat dipping, milk recording, getting the machine checked, checking for stray voltage and still SCC counts remain between 300,000 and 500,000.
In such cases the bulk SCC level will jump all over the place, from a high of 800,000 down to a low of 200,000. Why there is this kind of fluctuation is difficult to comprehend and it just adds to the frustration experienced by the farmer.
Once somatic cell counts exceed 150,000, then farmers are experiencing a problem. This is due to the fact that as cell count increases, milk yield begins to suffer. In fact, in severe cases, the loss in yield over the entire lactation could be of the order of 5%. This is clearly money down the drain and it is only a small part of the cost of dealing with elevated somatic cell count levels.
A recent study carried out for Veterinary Ireland by veterinarians attached to the Vet College at UCD attempted to put a cost on mastitis problems experienced by the dairy farmer.
On average, an infected cow will have 1.6 cases of clinical mastitis in the year. Some costs are incurred immediately such as the cost of the drugs and loss of milk sales due to the discarded milk. The milking will now also take longer as farmers have an infected cow to treat.
However, while come costs are immediately apparent, other, perhaps, more potentially serious costs are not apparent. The 5% loss in yield in the total lactation is something of a hidden cost. So too, is the cost of the increased risk of culling as a result of a cow having a clinical case of mastitis. She is certainly more at risk of being culled from the herd compared to her comrade who does not succumb to a case of clinical mastitis.
A severe case of clinical mastitis will need veterinary intervention. So, as one can imagine, the costs associated with this type of case shoot up. The actual treatment costs, the cost in time, the actual reduction in milk yield over the lactation (10%), all multiply.
And of course, such a cow is at a much more severe risk of being culled out of the herd. In fact, the risk for such a cow is increased to 20%.
All told, the veterinarians at UCD found that the costs associated with a severe case of clinical mastitis, came to £420. If the cow gets 1.6 cases / year, then the cost rises to £500.
I bet you are saying to yourself – no way, cases of mastitis doe not cost that kind of money. Farmers only tend to see the immediate direct costs i.e. the drugs and the discarded milk. It is the hidden costs i.e. culling and losses in milk supply over the lactation that are the real killers.
The UCD study suggests that these costs are responsible for between 60 and 70% of the overall figure. Food for thought!
