Cows with heat, swelling or pain in the udder, or changes in their milk (wateriness, clots, discolouration) that persist for more than three squirts have clinical mastitis, and require treatment.

In this episode of Talking Dairy, we tackle the challenge of managing mastitis. Experts Mike Shallcrass and Jane Lacy-Hulbert offer practical tips on detecting and handling high SCC cows and strategies to prevent mastitis and improve milk quality.

Contagious mastitis in cows is often spread during milking. Minimise the spread by maintaining healthy teat ends, using well-operating milking equipment, and disinfecting teats after milking.

Environmental mastitis is caused by bacteria such as Strep. uberis and coliforms that survive in the cow’s environment.

Automated mastitis detection (AMD) systems are technology tools used on dairy farms to identify signs of mastitis in cows by monitoring milk for specific indicators.

If you experience issues with somatic cell count, have a number of clinical cases, or rough teat conditions are persistent, professional help should be sought.

Dry cows should be checked weekly for changes in the udder and quarters, especially during the last two weeks of their lactation and in the first two weeks of their dry period.

Mastitis affects udder health and milk quality, impacting farm productivity. To manage it, use SmartSAMM, which offers guidance on reducing mastitis and somatic cell counts.

The page provides ways to find a milk quality adviser, a qualified milking machine tester, or a vet specialising in mastitis investigations.

If you are looking to build your milk quality and mastitis management skills, check out these DairyNZ recommended training courses.

The SmartSAMM Mastitis Investigation Kit (the Kit) provides a resource that professional advisors can use to gather information during a full mastitis investigation.

This Calculator estimates the potential economic benefits of 'closing the gap' between your herd's actual performance and your target performance, for udder health and milk quality.