MONITORING UDDER HEALTH AND MILK HYGIENE ON-FARM USING QUICK SCREENING METHODS

Abstract

In this paper the use of on-farm screening methods for monitoring udder health and milk quality are discussed. Special attention was given to evaluation of usefulness of California mastitis test (CMT) as quick field screening test for detection of udder quarters with an intra-mammary infections caused by major mastitis pathogens. Application of CMT in dairy herd health management in period of early lactation is illustrated through the two years cross sectional study that was carried out to screening the quarter milk samples with abnormal milk secretion (AMS) and using of microbiological culture for detection of intramammary infections (IMI). The quarter milk samples were obtained in two periods of early lactation: the period from calving until 21^st day in lactation and period from 22^nd to 42^nd day in lactation. The quarter level prevalence of AMS and IMI in the first 21 days in lactation was 5.33% and 4.03%, and up to the 42 days in lactation the prevalence of AMS and IMI was 5.45% and 4.38%, respectively. The prevalence of AMS and IMI from udder quarters that show positive reaction on CMT in the first 21 days in lactation was 56.96 and 55.42; and 55.42 and 44.58 in the period from 22^nd to 42^nd day in lactation, respectively. The results indicated that positive CMT reaction in early lactation may be good indicator for IMI; there was a significant association between the frequency of isolation of major pathogens and the CMT score in milk samples obtained in the period of early lactation (Pearson’s χ²=240.031, df=9, P<0.001).