DISEASED DAIRY HERDS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24798, 12 February 1946, Page 4

DISEASED DAIRY HERDS

LOSS OF PRODUCTION ESTIMATED INCIDENCE OF MASTITIS IN N.Z. “It appears conservative to say that if the working lifetime of the average cow can be increased two years through reducing the incidence of disease, particularly mastitis, sterility, and abortion, the minimum gain would be approximately £2,250,000 annually,” says Mr A. H. Ward, Director of Herd Improvement, in an article on the economic importance of disease in dairy cattle, in the annual report of the New Zealand Dairy Board. On returns quoted, Mr Ward estimated that among dairy herds in a season, the 4 per cent, severely affected with mastitis would lose an average of 1001 b butter-fat per cow, the 10 per cent, affected with clinical mastitis and retained in herds would lose 301 b per cow, and the 13 per cent, of quarters affected with sub-clinical mastitis would lose 51b per quarter of each cow. At current rates of butter-fat, and allowing for the probable higher incidence of mastitis in the average herd, compared with herds under test, in a round figure the loss would be at least £1,250,000 a season. Three years’ field investigation to study the effect of environment on the incidence of mastitis had been completed, the report of the board said. Trials had been made to determine the efficiency of anti-septic solutions in sterilising teats. A bacteriological survey of a number of herds had been commenced to determine the relative importance of different organisms in causing mastitis in New Zealand. A small series of trials had been conducted to test the efficacy of penicillin in the treatment of mastitis, but the results obtained were not so spectacular as those reported overseas. However, tests were continuing and. as larger supplies of penicillin became available, more thorough tests would be made. “If, in the words of Professor Clunies Ross, of the Veterinary School of Sydney University, the outlook of the veterinarian of the future must be prevention of disease rather than cure, and must include problems of management, breeding, and feeding, as well as treatment, then it seems worth while to summarise the present disease conditions of the industry and set as a goal for combined action in the future, the possibility of lifting the condition of the average herd to the condition of the top 10 per cent, of herds,” says Mr Ward, concluding his report. The dairy board report, referring to this question, says seven British veterinarians had come to New Zealand for field work and five more had been engaged for service as soon as transport was available. Twenty-nine students were training at Sydney under the bursary scheme provided jointly by the New Zealand Government and Dairy and Meat Boards. At the time of writing, the Dominion Federation of Farmers’ Veterinary Services had 21 affiliated services, employing 29 qualified veterinary surgeons and there were vacancies for 23 qualified men for the extension of existing schemes or the inauguration of new ones. Consideration was now being given to the establishment of a fund to provide permanent stability for veterinary service on a national scale, the fund to be controlled by a central council with strong producer representation, but the benefits of local management and responsibility for district services to be retained.