As the hectic calving season kicks off, farmers need to be careful not to let the somatic cell count (SCC) in their bulk tanks get out of hand.

Cows are at the greatest risk of spiking SCC levels two to three weeks before calving, as well as the following month post calving.

Infections such as mastitis can be an absolute plague on the farm at this time of the year, and as SCC rises farmers may notice a significant impact on their milk cheque.

According to Animal Health Ireland's CellCheck programme, the average bulk tank SCC dropped to 173,000 cells/mL in 2024.

Teagasc research shows that mastitis costs Irish farmers more than €60/cow/year, which derives from milk quality penalties and loss of milk production, along with clinical costs such as antibiotics, discarded milk, labour, veterinary fees and culling.

Minimising SCC

Prevention is always better than the cure in the case of rising SCC levels.

Having an exceptionally high standard of hygiene is crucial during this time of the year.

Usually farmers try to get freshly calved cows straight out to grass as it is the most hygienic option.

However, with the rain we are currently experiencing, not many cows are going to be seeing grass for a while.

Therefore, they are going to need access to clean dry cubicles which are brushed and limed twice daily.

Farmers should also be milking freshly calved cows separate from the main herd, so they can harvest colostrum and transition milk, while also preventing spread of infections.

When milking, farmers need to ensure they are wearing clean gloves and an apron.

Cows should also be disinfected with a pre-spray.

Fresh calves should have milk inspected and farmers should carry out a California milk test (CMT) on the freshly calved cows at the last milking before joining the main herd.

By carrying out a CMT, you will be able to identify any mastitis infections and reduce the risk of it spreading to other cows in the herd.

Staphylococcus aureus has become the main source of infection in herds over the last number of years as it is a highly contagious infectious agent.

For cows that have been monitored since calving and are not improving, farmers should send a sample from the infected quarter(s) to a laboratory to identify the pathogen that is causing the elevated SCC.

A sensitivity test will identify the offending pathogen and also identify the correct antibiotic to use as a treatment. 

The best way to prevent infection in your herd of cows is through excellent parlour management, such as ensuring the cows are clean when being milked and using the correct post-milking teat disinfection of roughly 15ml/cow/milking, ensuring full teat coverage.

Infected cows, whether they have clinical or subclinical mastitis, need to be separated from the herd or their cluster thoroughly disinfected post-milking.

All clinical cases should be recorded to allow for case histories to be created to help identify any problem cows in the herd that might go undetected.