Once cows are dried off, farmers need to focus on reducing the risk of mastitis over the dry period to ensure they have a successful spring.

Keeping mastitis out of the herd during the dry period is more than just upkeeping high levels of hygiene in the housing facilities.

Housing the herd in a comfortable and calming environment, and staying on top of their diet also play big roles in reducing cases of mastitis.

The dry period should be a time where cows get to recuperate and get their condition right for the calving season, and any sort of stress, infection, or discomfort may hinder that drastically.

Mastitis risk

Cows are always at the biggest risk of infection during the two weeks after drying off and the two weeks before calving.

The risk comes from the fact that cows' teats may remain open for several days after being dried-off.

The risk kicks back in before calving, as the cow will experience changes in their body which can weaken their immune system. making it easier for infection to cause problems.

Therefore, closely monitoring cows during these times has to be a priority, immediately drafting and treating any suspicions of mastitis in these cows.

Stress is also a leading factor in rising somatic cell count (SCC) levels, which is a given at calving but should be reduced as much as possible during the dry period.

Metabolic issues from poor diets or mineral deficiencies can also lead to cases of mastitis, so ensuring you are feeding cows properly is critical, especially during transition periods.

Prevention

Over the housed period, farmers need to ensure cubicle sheds are clean, disinfected and well-ventilated.

Cubicles can be a harbour for bacteria, so should be cleaned twice-a-day and consistently topped up with the likes of hydrated lime.

Substances such as hydrated lime absorb the moisture in the bed, as well as raising the pH of the environment, which will minimise bacterial growth.

Having adequate cubicles is essential, so ideally allocate 1.1 cubicles per cow.

This prevents overcrowding, which in turn reduces stress and gives each cow the chance to lie in a comfortable and hygienic bed.

Well-designed cubicles fitted with comfortable mats will promote cows lying down while also preventing them from defecating in the bed, which in turn will reduce the risk of mastitis even further.

Ensuring scrapers are working and the main passageways are clean is essential as cows frequently walk these areas, bring faeces back into their cubicle if they are not clean.

Carrying out further tasks suck as tail, udder, and back clipping will also help boost the hygiene of the herd.

Ensure that there is enough feed space - approximately 0.6m/cow - and that water troughs are cleaned and functional, with a minimum of three water troughs for every 50 cows.

Many farmers also carry out hygiene scoring during the winter months to see how clean the cow's environment actually is.

This is done through regularly assessing the cleanliness of key areas such as the udder, flank and legs of the cows.

Studies from Animal Health Ireland (AHI) have shown that if more than 20% of cows have dirty udders, they are 1.5 times more likely to develop mastitis compared to cows with clean udders.