Mastitis

In this episode, Anne Lee talks with North Canterbury sharemilkers Holly and Aaron Jackson about their dramatic reduction in mastitis early in their career and how they’ve managed to maintain award winning milk quality year after year ever since. They also share a very personal motivation for doing all they can to minimise antibiotic resistance.

Holly and Aaron explain their use of innovative diagnostics so they can manage milk quality at a quarter level not just at an udder level. They share the practical systems they now use, from incubating their own samples to managing the herd pre and post-calving and at dry-off.

A disastrous season for somatic cell count prompted a full rethink of processes for a North Canterbury couple. They’re now consistently winning awards for milk quality and averaging close to 50,000 cells/ml somatic cell count (SCC) for the past five years. Words Anne Lee, Photos Holly Lee.

DairyNZ’s Jane Lacy-Hulbert explains how farmers can use a “traffic light” approach to manage mastitis and help reduce antibiotic use.

By Karen Trebilcock.