Background and Goals
Mastitis is one of the most costly and widespread diseases affecting dairy herds worldwide, leading to economic losses from reduced milk yield, discarded milk, veterinary expenses, and premature culling of cows. With the rise of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) in commercial dairy farms, maintaining udder health presents unique challenges.
A case study conducted in Northern Europe examined an outbreak of mastitis following the introduction of AMS. The study aimed to investigate the causes of mastitis in the herd, assess the role of AMS in disease transmission, and develop management recommendations for effective diagnosis and control.
Materials and Methods
The investigation was conducted on a dairy farm that had transitioned from conventional milking to AMS. Data collection included:
- Clinical examinations of cows with udder inflammation and abnormal milk.
- Milk samples tested for bacterial pathogens.
- Somatic Cell Count (SCC) records obtained from AMS herd management software.
- Evaluation of AMS operation, including teat preparation, cluster attachment, and cleaning protocols.
- Farmer interviews to assess adherence to mastitis control practices.
Both bacteriological testing and epidemiological assessments were used to determine the major causes of mastitis outbreaks and herd-level disease trends.
Results
- Pathogen Identification: Streptococcus uberis was identified as the predominant mastitis-causing pathogen in the herd.
- Increased Incidence: The incidence of clinical mastitis rose significantly after the transition to AMS, with bulk milk SCC values also increasing, suggesting more subclinical infections.
- AMS-Related Issues: Suboptimal teat cleaning and irregular cluster attachment contributed to pathogen spread. The AMS system lacked effective mechanisms for early detection of mastitis cases.
- Management Gaps: Limited manual monitoring of cows and delayed treatment of clinical cases allowed infections to persist within the herd.
Conclusion
This case study highlights the interaction between modern technology and disease control in dairy cattle:
- While AMS offers efficiency and reduced labor, it can increase mastitis risk without robust hygiene practices.
- Early detection of mastitis remains crucial, requiring integration of real-time monitoring tools into AMS software.
- Staff training and consistent farm-level protocols are essential to complement automated milking technology.
- Regular bacteriological surveillance and preventive health programs should be maintained to minimize mastitis incidence.
The findings underscore that automatic systems cannot replace good herd management; instead, they must be integrated with strong biosecurity and udder health practices.
Keywords
Mastitis, Dairy Cattle, Automatic Milking System, Streptococcus uberis, Udder Health, Milk Hygiene
References
Jørgensen, E., Klaas, I. C., & Bjerg, M. (2016). A case study of a mastitis investigation in an automatic milking system. Journal of Dairy Science, 99(4), 2903–2912. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10592
Copyright
Jørgensen, E., Klaas, I. C., & Bjerg, M. (2016). This article is published under the copyright of the Journal of Dairy Science. All rights are reserved by the authors and publisher.
Disclaimer
This lesson paraphrases and adapts content from the original research by Jørgensen et al. (2016). All rights to the original publication remain with the authors and the Journal of Dairy Science. This material is intended solely for educational and teaching purposes. Any commercial use or reproduction of the original work without permission is prohibited. You can find the full article here:https://dairy.extension.wisc.edu/articles/case-study-of-a-mastitis-investigation-in-an-automatic-milking-system-ams/
