Response to Rob Drysdale's Food for Thought column

The points highlighted above are important considerations for today’s dairy farmer and perhaps even more so if you run a high yielding herd which is pushed for maximum efficiency, agrees Robert Ankcorn, vet adviser at Intervet, manufacturers of Cephaguard.   “Using the dry period to cure any lingering mastitis infections with proven DC therapy is wise, and Cephaguard DC has claims against mastitis caused by many of the common pathogens, especially Strep. uberis.

“DC therapy will also help to protect the udder during the dry period, when it can also be under threat of infection.”

Looking back on a number of farmer and vet meetings held over the last six to nine months, Mr Ankcorn also points out that there is interest in shorter dry periods.   “Producers here are keen to learn more about it as it seems particularly applicable to the higher yielding animal,” he comments.

Article first published 14/07/06