Dry cows therapy/seal

[Beef farmer]

Anyone not doing anything?
Just stop milking them, fly spray and away for 6 weeks. Very dry conditions on cows that arnt too delicate, not giving much milk with very good cells.

 

[frederick]

Anyone not doing anything?
Just stop milking them, fly spray and away for 6 weeks. Very dry conditions on cows that arnt too delicate, not giving much milk with very good cells.

Will be fine unless its wet when they calf. When the strep uberis will make you wish youd teat sealed

 

[Beef farmer]

Never sealed a heifer last year. They would run milk few days before calving. Is that the same as a cow tho?

 

[bigw]

We did neither last year, the cows were milked OAD till they were below 6l then dried off. I haven't looked at it properly but I would say mastitis rate post calving was higher and we had several high scc cows which put tank totals up until we got them culled out, most of which could be traced back to one bull. Tank is running at about 140 now and mastitis in the last few months has been low.

We usually get a foot trimmer in pre dry off but this year he came when we had started calving and I think this was definitely a factor plus as there was far more shifting and moving cows about, plus we struggled to keep the calving pen as dry and clean as I would have liked as we had very little straw.

 

[happycows]

I've gone back to using orbeseal this year after 5 years of using nothing. I had 4/5 cases in dry cows late last summer. So far much improved and i can't be doing with the extra work of having to get dry cows in and faf about tubing for 3/4 days.
ive not noticed to many flies until last couple days so maybe from now on will be the real tester. I suspect their cell count will bear little effect on if they get mastitis, it'll be the flies and dripping milk will get them.

 

[Beef farmer]

My cows wont drip much milk. Very dry and little grass, there isn't much milk about

 

[Beef farmer]

We did neither last year, the cows were milked OAD till they were below 6l then dried off. I haven't looked at it properly but I would say mastitis rate post calving was higher and we had several high scc cows which put tank totals up until we got them culled out, most of which could be traced back to one bull. Tank is running at about 140 now and mastitis in the last few months has been low.

We usually get a foot trimmer in pre dry off but this year he came when we had started calving and I think this was definitely a factor plus as there was far more shifting and moving cows about, plus we struggled to keep the calving pen as dry and clean as I would have liked as we had very little straw.

If I was spring calving I wouldnt question it, but out on clean pasture is a plus point

 

[bigw]

We first tried it on a group of backend calvers and it worked very well

 

[Beef farmer]

We first tried it on a group of backend calvers and it worked very well

Calving outside?

 

[bigw]

No inside but far less pressure as not the same number

 

[westwards]

We milk record and only treat cows with a cell count over 250 or a history of problems, we have a voluantry ban on Orbaseal because of problems with black spot at our creamery 5/6 years ago
and have difficulty getting the foot trimmer as he is up at @bigw all the time. Tank running at 140cc just now so I would say its not a problem in dry weather not treating them @Beef farmer

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Anyone not doing anything?
Just stop milking them, fly spray and away for 6 weeks. Very dry conditions on cows that arnt too delicate, not giving much milk with very good cells.

That's what we did at my old job, minus the fly spray. Got higher cell count at calving

Would love to ditch the tubes, but we aren't ready for it. And I don't trust anyone enough here to seal.

 

[happycows]

If you give it a go my best advice would be watch them very closely for a fortnight. Put your hand too their udders if any doubt and if you get one jump on it double quick. no reason for there too be any permanent damage if caught in time but 2 days can be the difference between saving a quarter and a very sick cow. Mastitis usually goes very thick with swollen quarter when it's flies

 

[Agrispeed]

That's what we did at my old job, minus the fly spray. Got higher cell count at calving

Would love to ditch the tubes, but we aren't ready for it. And I don't trust anyone enough here to seal.

Exactly what I was going to say.

I did buy some external sealant last year but as we dried off just as it started to snow and everything stopped I didn't bother with it. But I was drying cows off doing 5l or so, so there is a lot less pressure on them. Didn't stop them all breaking out and wondering to the collecting yard for a couple of mornings

Haven't had a cow calve with mastitis yet this year. However, drying off in march is a bit different to mid summer. Although the cows should be cleaner.

Maybe try the external sealant first?

 

[bigw]

We milk record and only treat cows with a cell count over 250 or a history of problems, we have a voluantry ban on Orbaseal because of problems with black spot at our creamery 5/6 years ago
and have difficulty getting the foot trimmer as he is up at @bigw all the time. Tank running at 140cc just now so I would say its not a problem in dry weather not treating them @Beef farmer

He is getting a hard man to get hold of @westwards which is a pity as he is bloody good. Have you guys had anymore news on the direction of the factory yet?

 

[westwards]

He is getting a hard man to get hold of @westwards which is a pity as he is bloody good. Have you guys had anymore news on the direction of the factory yet?

He is too bloody good that is why we need him !! There are 7 who have signed NDA's so I am told, just hope we get the right one in the end.

 

[Beef farmer]

That's what we did at my old job, minus the fly spray. Got higher cell count at calving

Would love to ditch the tubes, but we aren't ready for it. And I don't trust anyone enough here to seal.

Your cells drop after a few weeks?

 

[Rossymons]

Using a test sealant you're effectively copying the cows ability to form a keratin plug and thus forming a barrier to stop bacteria entering and causing infection.

The modern dairy cow - through breeding for increased output etc - has lost this ability. Research done in NZ a few years found that less than half of the cows trialled formed their own plug and cell.cpints and mastitis increased massively just after calving and into lactation.

You could try it - calving outside I know how pleasant it can be. But there's no way of knowing what the weather will be in 6 weeks time. If it's still this warm and humid it's almost perfect for mastitis even if you can move your calving paddocks daily.

Gulf streams coming over from the US in late July/August usually bring wet weather with them just in time for calving too.

I'd be very reluctant to go for it personally. You don't need any extra problems at the beginning of lactation particularly as moving out of cell count bands has suddenly more expensive on the new contract.

 

[Beef farmer]

I believe that DC may well look to control the use or sealant one day due to its misuse

 

[Rossymons]

They already are sort of with this licence.

But with blanket treatment being heavily scrutinized alongside blackspot in their cheese from people not using sealants properly they are in a difficult spot.

If there was a decent external sealant on the market we'd be laughing.

Decent protection, no more intratubes - bloody marvelous!