Taking hold of cell counts and identifying the problem cows

Agriland

02-06-2025

We are now approaching the mid-lactation and things will begin to ease off as less cows are getting served, though cell counts and problem cows will need to be controlled and identified.
Hopefully farmers might have a bit more time on their hands after a long calving season, securing first cuts of silage, and overcoming the first few weeks of the breeding season to have a look at herd performance and individual cow performance.
Often farmers will see bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) begin to creep up during the summer months and choose to ignore it, but this probably indicates that there are a number of infected quarters in the herd causing a spike.
The problem with letting a telltale sign like this slip is that it can lead to more infected quarters as it might not settle down on its own.
Reacting in a timely fashion will set your herd up for the rest of the lactation with minimal mastitis infections and maximum production.
Cell counts
Some cows are more susceptible to high SCC, mastitis issues, lameness, and other diseases due to their genetic make-up and these cows should be identified and moved on.
When cell counts are above 100,000 cells/ml, the farmer is losing out on money as, on average, mastitis will cost a farmer €60/cow/year, taking into account loss in milk price, loss in production, and the cost of treatment.
The most effective way of reducing bulk tank SCC is through close analysis of milk recording data and identifying the cows that are contributing to the problem.
However, there are number of measures farmers can take before removing cows from the herd, such as testing and servicing your milk machine every nine to 12 months.
With rain expected to persist for another few days, farmers must ensure that the cows' environment is kept clean, as heavy rainfall can often show up poor roadways.
To fully control contagious mastitis, a good milking routine is needed and standard operating procedures (SOPs) put in place so that relief milkers understand what has to be done before and after cows are milked.
Farmers should not underestimate the power of teat disinfectant post-milking, as it reduces infection rates by 50%, so long as the whole teat is covered.
Cows with high cell counts can easily be identified through the use of a California Mastitis Test (CMT), which could be used on cows suspect of causing issues or with a history of poor milk quality.
Problem cows
A cow that has had three or more clinical cases of mastitis during her lactation, or that has over 200,000 cells/ml of a SCC over two consecutive lactations despite receiving antibiotic treatment, is considered a problem cow.
The cost to cure mastitis does vary from case to case depending on the severity but for these repeat offenders, sometimes they are incurable and will constantly show up with problems.
Quite often, the best thing to do with these cows is to work off your milk recording reports, identify the repeat offenders, and move them on from the farm, as they are only going to drive up treatment costs and affect profitability.
During peak production, farmers often get hung up on milk fat and protein percentages and kilos of milks solids produced per cow per day, but it is also crucial to be keeping an eye on your bulk tank cell counts, and get to the bottom of why it is sitting quite high.
During peak production, you want to be maximising your milk price. High SCC is only going to be deducted from your price received and so these cows needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.
Given the strong cull cow prices in factories at the minute, as well-fleshed 'P' grade cows are being quoted at €6.80/kg in general this week, it makes sense to bring these cows to the factory and get a decent price.
This gives farmers the opportunity to swap these for younger, better-performing cows in milk for a small fee.
Even if you are not intending on replacing these cows, you are better off with them gone. Leaving them in the herd risks the spread of infection to your high achievers, affecting production per cow while you allocate extra grass or meal to these cows that are not returning your input.
The national average SCC of herds that are milk recording for the week ending May 23 as per the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) is at 140,000 cells/ml, which is still high for the time of the year, and it may be caused by a few problem cows in herds.
Farmers may be tempted to keep on these cows when conditions are very favourable for grazing, and with grass growth looks set to take off again, but realistically they are not adding value and only affecting milk price and driving up costs.
Milk recording data at this time of the year is often used for breeding decisions to identify the high achievers in the herd, but it should also be used to identify cows that are not worth serving and only fit for the factory.