Milk quality specialist Don Crowley joins Emma-Louise Coffey to discuss the role of selective dry cow therapy in Irish Dairy herds.
 
Don explains the essential criteria farmers must review to identify suitable cows for selective DCT including milk recording results for the full lactation and 30 days in advance of dry-off, evidence of cows mastitis cases and treatment, culture and sensitivity analysis for the herd.
 
Importantly, Don emphasises the importance of selective DCT explaining that regulation will enforce this practice from January 2022.
 
He guides farmers through the dry cow procedure, giving simple tips and reminding us of the importance of hygiene. Where operators clothing, the parlour and the cow herself are dirty, there is a risk of introducing mastitis infection to the cow’s udder.
 
For more information:
http://animalhealthireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CellCheck-On-Farm-Events-2019-Booklet-Web-Version.pdf
 For more episodes and information from the Dairy Edge podcast go to:
 https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/