Meet Colm O'Kane, who milks 1,140 cows at Culverden in North Canterbury. Now in his third season using Farm Medix, Colm has built a mastitis management routine that fits the scale and pace of a large South Island herd.
The approach is straightforward. Any cow presenting with clinical mastitis is sampled, along with any cow that reacts to the RMT test in spring. Samples go to the incubator, and Colm and his team treat based on what actually grows, not on assumption. “We see what the result is, and treat accordingly, or don't treat if they don't need treatment,” he says.
The results show in the benchmarking. Among all the dairy farms supplied by his North Canterbury vet clinic, Colm's farm sits around the 10th lowest for antibiotic use, with somatic cell counts also at the lower end of the group. “That's pretty good for a farm this size,” he notes.
Colm is candid about the start. “I was real nervous when I came here, because the farm owner said they were doing it, and I thought it was going to be a lot of admin.” Looking back, he sees it differently. “It was probably the best decision we've done. It's a bit to wrap your head around, but like everything new is, and it's well worth it in the long run.”
Support has been part of what makes it work day to day. “Put a message on the WhatsApp group, and there's multiple people on there to reply. The support's great.”
For farmers weighing up whether to start, Colm's view is plain: “Definitely do it.”
It was probably the best decision we've done.
Learn more about on-farm mastitis culture with Fresh Cow Dry Cow™, or get in touch to talk through what would work for your herd.
