Franklinvets.co.nz

Teatseal eases spring stresses
Testimonial from David Dean, Mercer
A milking plant vacuum level higher than it
Vet records reveal 113 mastitis incidences from should be helped create an on-going masti-
calving to the end of September for the 2009/10 tis problem for David Dean in his first year man-
season, compared to almost twice that number aging his family’s Silverdene Farm, near Mercer, the year before. This season the results are even North Waikato, three seasons ago. With infection more positive, with only 28 cases recorded to mid rates up to 25% through the herd in that first year, David’s problems were heightened by the use of a David is confident a decision to treat heifers
feed pad for holding cows on over particularly wet pre-calving with Teatseal early next season wil
weather in winter, adding an environmental bacte- At the end of the season the lower BMSCC meant The result was the 600 head herd never
David had far greater flexibility over drying off de- dropped below a BMSCC of 200,000 all year, and
cisions, determined by cow condition rather than was running around the 300,000 mark for much of creeping BMSCCs, which had topped out over 300,000 before using the Teatseal combination This impacted on David’s ability to milk all the herd as long as he would have liked, without risk- “I would prefer to invest in something that wil save you time at the time of year when you are short of it, By the start of his second season when he com- which is spring. Using Teatseal definitely achieved that, menced share milking he had sorted the vacuum even if it did involve some extra cost at drying off.” problem. However its legacy was a BMSCC over Key Points:
300,000 at drying off and starting his first season with a herd already less than ideal. To try and start Time: I am averse to investing in something that
with a lower subclinical infection rate he followed does not save time when it matters ie spring time the advice of his veterinarian Jason Fayers of – ie auto cup removers are great, but you are not Franklin Vets. Jason recommended the use of a likely to use them through spring because they will combination dry cow therapy, using selective anti- not milk cows out properly, so the claimed “time biotic dry cow treatment in conjunction with saved” is not really because you have the extra time at the period in the season when you can use them. Al cows were treated with either short-acting Orbenin or long-acting Orbenin Enduro depending on somatic Versus Teatseal: which saves time when time is
cel counts plus teatseal at drying off. David administered the Teatseal after the dry cow A hovering risk of penicillin grades: (very ex-
antibiotics himself, taking time to ensure hygiene pensive and professionally embarrassing) is re- was a priority, and not rushing the process. duced with less need to use penicillin at a time of year when risk of it going in vat is highest Having treated the milking cows for two seasons (inexperienced staff, busy, stressed and rushed Last spring kicked off on a far more positive note, Heifers – I would have done them this year, but
with the mixed age milkers only recording single miscalculated the cost (added an extra “0”), so put figure infection numbers, and a BMSCC that sat around the 130,000 mark for much of the season.

Source: http://www.franklinvets.co.nz/site/philmacleod/files/Dairy/Teatseal%20Silverdene.pdf