Tony’s Journey to Healthier Cows and Fewer Antibiotics
Tony, a farmer from Matamata, was facing a severe mastitis issue on his 294 cow farm. From a season average of 85 in the 2018/2019 season, his somatic cell count (SCC) had steadily climbed to an alarming 250, with mastitis cases spiking to 27 in January 2023. Despite seeking traditional guidance, he saw no improvement. However, when Farm Medix proposed an alternative strategy, focused on understanding and addressing the root causes of his issues, things began to turn around.
The process started with a Snapshot bulk tank test, analysing Tony’s herd and overall farm conditions. The evaluation uncovered several underlying problems: teat-end damage, inadequate teat disinfection coverage, and a significant presence of Staph. aureus. To tackle these issues, Farm Medix recommended adjusting the milking time to prevent overmilking and improving post-milking teat disinfection practices, with support from Farm Medix’s partner, FIL-GEA. Additionally, each cow was tested individually using Herdscreen, revealing 37 Staph. aureus carriers, which were major contributors to the elevated bulk tank SCC.
Tony followed Farm Medix's recommendations, segregating the Staph. aureus-positive cows and milking them last to prevent contamination of the healthy cows. Within two months, his mastitis cases plummeted from 27 to two, all within the infected group. Antibiotic use also dropped dramatically, from 128 doses in January to 7 in April. While SCC didn’t decline immediately, milking the Staph. cows last prevented cow-to-cow transmission, allowing Tony to keep all cows in supply without compromising the healthy herd.
On his vet’s advice, Tony chose to blanket dry cow the herd, using a long-acting antibiotic for the 17 Staph. aureus cows he kept. However, 8 still tested positive the following season, underscoring the importance of re-testing Staph. aureus cows after treatment to prevent contamination and new infections.
With his Staph. aureus issue under control and other mastitis factors addressed, Tony implemented the Farm Medix continuous mastitis management program, incorporating Snapshot Surveillance and Fresh Cow Dry Cow on-farm mastitis testing to prevent and address issues as they arise. Seeing significant improvements across the board and ranking among the best in Matamata, his message to farmers is clear: “Farmers need to hear about this!”
Seasonal results show Farm Medix reduced SCC and lifted production compared to traditional methods.
SCC levels stayed consistently lower in 2024/25 with Farm Medix than in previous years.