Lab-quality mastitis testing on your farm
Fresh Cow Dry Cow® (FCDC) is the most complete system available for managing mastitis and controlling Staph. aureus
Built for the farm
Lab-quality technology in your hands
Expert team support
Fast results
Easy to use
Get expert mastitis lab support
Decide with confidence
Fresh Cow Dry Cow puts you in control
FCDC delivers fast, reliable results so you and your vet can make confident decisions, treat only when needed, and protect your herd
How it works
A simple process your team can run with confidence
Collect sample
Plating
Take photos
Get results
1. Collect your milk sample
Easily take an aseptic sample, the same standard as used in labs.
2. Plate and incubate
Process it right on the farm.
3. Take plate photos
Straight from your phone.
4. Get results in less than 24 hours
Share instantly with your vet and team via WhatsApp.
See FCDC in action
Watch the video to see how quick and easy it is for farmers to use Fresh Cow Dry Cow on-farm
What you get with Fresh Cow Dry Cow
All-in-one starter kit
Everything you need to start on-farm testing.
FCDC box
Each box of FCDC contains everything you need for 10 tests.
“Without Fresh Cow Dry Cow, our cell count would have been out of control. Instead, we are ahead on all fronts!”
- Jenny Buckley & Dave van den Beuken, Dairy farmers
When to use FCDC
Control mastitis
Optimise selective dry cow therapy
Manage Staph. aureus and biosecurity
Identify what’s causing mastitis and high SCC with reliable diagnostic results, to make choosing the right treatment and ongoing management more effective.
- Test clinical cows – identified by your team.
- Test high-SCC cows – RMT/CMT positives or cows flagged by herd testing or in-shed technology.
Identify pathogen at quarter level to adopt the right dry-off strategy.
- Test RMT/CMT positive quarters before dry-off – select targeted options with guidance from your vet.
Because Staph. aureus is highly contagious, specific and regular testing is essential to protect your herd.
Before herd entry – prevent introducing infection
After treatment – never assume it’s 100% cured
Before herd entry – prevent introducing infection
- New or replacement cows – treat as suspect without a known status.
- Fresh cows in herds with Staph. aureus – heifers can already be infected.
After treatment – never assume it’s 100% cured
- Retest positives – high treatment failure rates make confirmation critical.
Mastitis costs,
precision testing saves
Running a herd means constant decisions. Herd tests, RMT/CMT, and in-line technology are good tools for spotting problems but don’t identify the pathogen and root cause. FCDC completes the diagnostic picture — bridging the gap between detection and action. It gives you fast, on-farm, lab-quality results that identify the exact pathogens. So you can act with confidence, improve herd health, and avoid unnecessary costs and treatments.
Diagnostic Tool that covers 100% of your needs
Broad pathogen detection capability
Why Farmers and Vets trust FCDC
Our cutting-edge technology and expert team are why customers keep using FCDC and tell other farmers about it
Real people, real help
Farm Medix mastitis specialists work with you to review results, understand your herd history, and give you a clear, practical plan.
You’re not on your own - our specialists are available 7 days a week.
We know your herd - advice tailored to your farm, systems, and goals.
Part of your team - from first test to long-term mastitis control, we help you every step of the way.
Top-of-market technology
Lab-quality - the same standard as hospitals and diagnostic labs.
Comprehensive detection - identifies 20+ mastitis pathogens, with high-sensitivity detection of Staph. aureus.
Transparent - no gimmicks. See your results clearly, backed by our reference guide.
Action-ready - accurate information to guide treatment, prevention, and herd control.
“Regular testing is a game-changer. The team is excited about what we’ve achieved with Farm Medix”
- Jake Ferreira - Farm Manager, Longburn farm
Real farmers, real results
Used and trusted by dairy farmers nationwide
"Mastitis doesn’t have to be stressful. With Farm Medix, we’ve reduced our mastitis levels to less than 5%, reclaimed time, and improved efficiency"
- Longburn Farm - 900 cows, Manawatu, Palmerston North
“Farm Medix empowers us to farm confidently, make informed decisions, and achieve greater efficiency across the farm."
- Holly & Aaron Jackson - 380 cows, Culverden, Canterbury
“With Farm Medix, we can identify exactly what bugs we’re dealing with, treat cows proactively, and use fewer antibiotics. It’s given us control!"
- Jim van der Poel - Owner of multiple farms in NZ and in the USA
"Choose Farm Medix, the peace of mind and savings you gain
from knowing exactly what you’re dealing
with, combined with 7 day support
is invaluable!"
- Jenny Buckley & Dave van den Beuken - 370 cows, Cambridge, Waikato
"We are so happy! Working with Farm Medix, we are on top of things and looking forward to next season!" Mastitis doesn't stress us now.
- Phil and Jenny Taylor - 440 cows, Morrinsville, Waikato
“Doing the Herdscreen® wasn’t hard — what’s hard work is mastitis. Thanks to Farm Medix, we finally took control.”
- Tony Hollinshead - 300 cows, Matamata, Waikato
“With Farm Medix, we have the tools and resources to control mastitis. The support they provide makes all the difference!”
- Sian & Logan Dawson - 840 cows, Ohaupo, Waikato
"Farm Medix turned our mastitis worries into confidence — now we manage with knowledge, ease, and better results!"
- Sarah Smart - Farm Manager, 645 cows, North Otago
“With Farm Medix help, we’ve reduced antibiotic treatments from 109 cows to just 12 — and production is up 6%.”
- Andrew Hardie & Helen Long - 430 cows, Manawatu, Whanganui
Fresh Cow Dry Cow FAQs
We’ve pulled together the most common questions farmers have about FCDC
On-farm testing sounds expensive — should I test every clinical case?
Why is test capacity important?
Is on-farm mastitis testing time consuming?
I’ve never worked with microbiology — can I use FCDC?
Do you offer on-farm training?
One of my plates looks odd — what now?
Do I need to test for antibiotic resistance?
Will testing mean I should delay treatment? Should I treat every clinical cow immediately?
My cow shows clinical signs but the plate grows nothing — why?
Testing clinical cows is valuable for cow wellbeing and farm performance. Our priority is to reduce the number of clinical cases through prevention and smarter monitoring.
What we recommend: Start with Snapshot® Surveillance to find and address the root causes at herd level, then use FCDC to test the clinical cases, high-SCC cows, suspect cows before they enter the herd (fresh, new, replacements).
High capacity matters because it lets you test many cows quickly when you need to — after a herd test, when you suspect contagious mastitis, or before introducing new cows to the herd. It means no backlog, faster answers and faster action.
What to do: Plan for peak periods (calving, herd testing, dry off) so you can sample without delay.
No. The FCDC process follows laboratory standards and requires a few careful steps (clean teat, strip, aseptic sample). Once you’ve done it a few times, it becomes routine and quick. We provide clear guides and support to make it efficient.
What to do: Use our checklist and watch the short demo — sampling should take only a few minutes per cow.
Yes. Many farmers start with no lab experience and become confident very quickly. We supply simple, step-by-step instructions, and our team provides phone/WhatsApp support to guide you.
What to do: Book an onboarding session or use the demo video the first time you run a test.
Yes. Our accredited partners can come to your farm for hands-on training and kit setup. We also host how-to guides and videos on our website and share regular tips via social media.
What to do: Book a training visit or follow the online guides to get started.
We manufacture plates to strict quality standards, but sometimes a plate can be defective. If a plate looks unusable, we’ll replace it or credit you — no hassle.
What to do: Photograph the plate, send it to our support team, and we’ll advise next steps.
Not routinely. Resistance becomes important on farms with high mastitis and high treatment rates. In most cases the primary need is to know which pathogen is present — that tells your vet the likely cure rates and the best treatment approach.
When to consider resistance testing: If you or your vet suspect treatment failures linked to one pathogen, discuss a resistance test (for example, a bulk milk or targeted isolate test). Reducing case numbers and correct treatments usually reduce resistance pressure.
Treat animals that are ill immediately, as advised by your vet. For many local clinical cases, waiting up to 24 hours for FCDC results is reasonable and does not reduce cure rates — especially when it helps avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Some infections (e.g. Gram-negative) are less likely to respond to antibiotics and can be monitored with vet guidance.
What to do: Follow your vet’s treatment plan. Use FCDC to guide targeted treatment where safe to do so.
This happens. Sometimes the cow’s immune system has already cleared the infection but inflammation (the visible signs) persists for a while. In that case the culture can be negative even though the cow still looks unwell. Supportive care and vet advice are still needed.
What to do: Provide supportive therapy per your vet’s advice and re-test if signs persist or worsen.
Start testing on farm
Get clear results and a plan to improve farm health, herd health and profitability.
