Paeroa dairy farmer Stephen Begbie had been dealing with ongoing mastitis issues, with his somatic cell count (SCC) fluctuating and at times reaching 380,000. The problem kept returning, and treatments weren’t providing long-term control.
To get to the root of the issue, Stephen turned to Farm Medix and FIL.
Finding What Was Really Happening in the Herd
With guidance from the Farm Medix mastitis expert and his FIL area manager, Stephen decided to test his entire herd(Herdscreen®).
The results revealed the real driver of the problem:
30 cows in his 320-cow herd were infected with Staphylococcus aureus.
This clarity gave Stephen the information he needed to make targeted, confident decisions.
One Simple Change. One Big Result.
Stephen immediately separated the Staph cows and milked them last. By keeping their milk out of the vat, his SCC dropped from:
380,000 → 85,000 in a single day.
Last Season’s Results
With hidden infections identified and managed, Stephen saw major improvements:
• Only six cases of mastitis all season.
• A selective dry-off plan, with just 10% of the herd needing dry cow therapy.
• $2,000–$3,000 saved on dry cow treatment.
• A more stable SCC and greater confidence in every decision.
Stephen now relies on regular testing to monitor infections and act early before problems spread. Accurate results allow him to prevent issues, not just react to them.
His story shows what is possible when farmers have clear pathogen identification and a plan built on solid evidence rather than guesswork.
Lab testing with Farm Medix gives ongoing insights, helping us manage mastitis effectively and save on treatments and dry cowing costs.